A Whisper on Your Shoulder
by dgj212
Summary: A oneshot I decided to write, Taylor gets a cool master/stranger power. Also it introduces some more ideas i might like to see.
1. Chapter 1

Sup, I got inspired by Wetware emulation agent version 1 Weaver, Dare from Gorrilaz, and an idea I've been poking around for Naruto. This is a oneshot, if you like any of the ideas and want to copy it feel free. just send me a link. Read-enjoy-REVIEW!

I don't own Worm

* * *

I watched as she ran, jumping across the rooftops, changing into her breaker state to help her get across and shrug off some of the impact.

"Hey, SS wait up," I heard, and at the same time hearing Shadow stalker mutter a curse under her breath.

"It's Shadow Stalker," she growled out.

"It's too long," a guy with red and gold armor with a red visor, no helmet, said as he hovered above us on a hover board, his laser pistols holstered. "Also, weren't you told to keep pace with us?"

"Not when your too slow, Kid. If you have a problem just go faster," Shadow Stalker.

"Its Kid Win!" I heard him whine. "And you know I can't, any faster I'll steadily lose control. I'm stil-"

"Yap-yap-yap! See how annoying it is?" She asked before she ran off and jumped to another roof. She reached up to her mask and pressed something, "You know how it goes loser, go do your thing with Mr. Morals and I'll go patrol this way."

"Shadow Stalker, remember what the Director said, she-" she did something and cut him off from her end. Some sort of radio or something built into her ballistic mask? I shook my head as she sped off, lunging from rooftop to rooftop and finally jumping through a building!

As soon as she was through she undid her breaker form. I watched her as she moved, she wore black body armor, a ballistic mask that that for some odd reason showed what I assume is electrical currents running through objects, and a camo cloak. Her weapon of choice was a crossbow armed with darts. She walked a few more corridors, phased through a room walked to a mirror and phased her hand through it. I could feel her pain as she hissed and she phased her hand out with a skinny bag. She unzipped it to reveal metallic arrows.

"Geez you're a psycho," I couldn't help from commenting. I saw her froze for a bit, then she shook her head and re-armed her crossbow.

"Scum use guns," she muttered to herself, "it's only fair."

"You're a huge bitch," I said as I leaned against the table at the right of her peripheral vision. "You're supposed to be a hero."

"I'm not like those pussies, I'm a real hero," she muttered as her crossbow was set and she phased through the wall, dragging me with her. I could feel her anger, extreme anger, "I'm not weak, I can do more good if I wasn't chained," I couldn't help but roll my eyes as we got outside.

* * *

I could feel her burning desire to shoot something. For the last few hours we have been running building to building, staking out guys that she thinks might commit a crime and waiting for something to happen. Nothing did. Her aggression was so profound. It was like she was a bomb ready to explode. As it was I could feel the emotion she gave off as she eyed a few thugs, just regular white guys with 88 stitched somewhere on their clothes as they drank outside on the patio of bar that was, I think if all the Asians were something to go by, ABB territory. I could feel how she was, anxious, hungry, just waiting for something to happen. Just begging to get an excuse to unleash a volley of arrows on her prey.

Maybe she wanted ABB thugs to come and defend their claim against the Empire 88 neo-Nazis that over stepped their bounds. Maybe she was waiting for one of the E88 thugs to force themselves on one of the waitresses and justify it as them being of an inferior race so everything was free gain. For all I know she could just be waiting for them to pay and walkout without realizing they forgot to leave a tip or something. Hell, knowing her as well as I did, I'm pretty sure she's about ready to lie and make something up just to shoot them.

Honestly when I thought about doing this I was hoping to use it to get ahead of my tormenters, maybe get an insight and turn it against them, I didn't expect this. I didn't expect Sophia Hess of all people, one of my fricken tormenters to be a hero. And even now she was a psychopath! What the hell is the PRT even doing? I shook my head as I sat off the edge of the rooftop she was hiding on top of. I stared behind her. The world outside of her field of vision turning into nothing but a black wall so black that not even light penetrated. I swung my legs off on the rooftop's floor and walked toward the wall that was essentially the end of my world. I placed my hand against it, it was an odd feeling, on one hand I feel a glass like wall keeping me confined to the world Sophia-the world Shadow Stalker perceived and at the same time I felt nothing at all. I can push past the glassy feeling and move in the darkness, and the world Shadow Stalker perceives looks like something on the other side of a window, and the window lets light in so I'm not completely in darkness. What she can see I can see, what she can hear I can hear.

I turned around when I felt an intense emotion. I saw her taking aim with her crossbow, she aimed at the thugs who were still talking and laughing among themselves. They hadn't done a thing. And she was going to shoot whether I liked it or not. Blood lust I realized, that was what she was feeling.

"Don't do it," I said, "they're just drinking they don't deserve anything." I could feel something, it's like she was licking her lips or something, like she was getting off on this and she was just teasing herself up until the moment set in. It was sick. "Sophia don't you fucking dare!" I said placing my hand on her shoulder, her shoulders slightly twitched but she didn't change her mind, I felt shiver of pleasure run through her spine. "For fuck's sake, they're just drinking!"

I could see her finger, it was slowl-

"Shadow Stalker," A male voice came out of nowhere.

"Jesus," she half shouted as she fell backwards in order to avoid being seen for that outburst. I couldn't help but sag in relief. "What the hell! Did you hack my-"

"I asked Kid Win and Armsmaster if we could install an "ON" switch for whenever you turn off the comms on your end, along with a GPS tracker."

"What the hell," she cursed loudly.

"You don't follow procedure, go off on your own, and don't report in, meaning we don't have eyes on you. Its logical."

"Fuck you Aegis."

"Language, now get back to base."

"What the hell for," she demanded.

"Your shift? It's time for your turn on console duty. Your late by the way."

"I'm busy."

"With what?"

"I spotted some E88 thugs,"

"Doing what?"

"Drinking-drinking-drinking-drinking!" I shouted at Shadow Stalker. It was usually at split seconds like these where I could influence her a bit, it was easier if it was more in tuned to what she wanted or what her personality was like.

"Drinking," she answered, then her hand curled to fist and she let a soft curse at the mistake she made.

"What? Drinking? Really?" Aegis asked.

"Yes, but they-"

"Are they harming anyone?"

"Wasting air! Wasting air!" I shouted again, hoping it's something she would say.  
"They're wasting air," she said as if that was the answer to everything. Again, I could feel that frustration, I smirked.

"…Uhhuh, I see…how heinous…."

"Crap. Look, they-"

"Get back this instant or I'll write you up," he demanded.

"doitdoitdoitdoit!" I shouted incoherently hoping she went for it.

"Fucking do it I don't give a shit," she answered in the heat of the moment.

"Well if you're sure," Aegis replied nonchalantly.

"Fuck! No wait, I'll be right there. Out." She said as she turned off her comms and started making her way back while cursing. I could help but smile as I followed her. One perk, even though I had my body with my arms and legs, is that I could fly sort of. I mostly just floated a bit, letting the glass like black wall push me forward as the ride that is Shadow Stalker dragged me along. I floated next to her when I heard something vibrate. Her phone. It was a struggle to keep pace that in the end I just let the glass wall carry me. She was surprisingly very good at texting and jumping buildings. I could feel her get a twinge as she held the phone and went into her breaker form at the same time. I could visibly see the electricity in her phone, thanks to the lens in her mask. I guess I figured out what it was for. She seems to get a bad reaction in her breaker form to electricity. Useful bit of info.

This went on for a while as she made her way to the PRT building. Eventually I remembered I could float so I put my arms around her neck and felt her shiver and twitch as she stopped and looked around. When she didn't find anything, she continued to make her way to the PRT building shaking her head. I smiled, I gave her goosebumps.

I looked over her shoulder at what she was texting. It was Emma. Mostly it was stuff about how her hero-ing was going, what they should do later. Some of it was how to best torture me. Jeez what the hell was their problem with me, especially Emma? Why the hell did she have it out for me, it was my mother who died not hers. As I read the text I couldn't help but get both angry and sad at what she was suggesting. She wanted to remind me of my dead mother and what I had done afterwards. I was furious as tears leaked out of my eyes. Then I caught hold of an interesting tidbit. How Emma met Sophia. Emma just mention it and Sophia elaborated to which Emma quickly texted to drop it, but I could feel Sophia, she got a kick out of it….

"Is anyone really a friend to you, Sophia?" I couldn't help but ask. I couldn't see her face but I got the feeling that she had smile, a nasty smile after I had asked that. She jumped into the building where she kept her arrows hidden. I found that she had an easier time leaving object behind walls then retrieving them.

I sighed, I didn't feel like spying anymore so I just floated with my back to the glass wall and let it push me forward.

* * *

"I'm here bitches," she announced as she walked into the private area only the Wards and "Official Personal" were allowed in, but if you took the time, like four hours of testing, you could get a chance to see "briefly" where the magic happens, so pretty much nothing of substance, yet people still did it.

"Yeah, you're only more than half an hour late," a man in a white full body costume with working clocks on it, said, "but hey, who's counting." This was Clockblocker, and he suddenly took his helmet off. Crap this was one of the things I didn't want to do with my powers. I didn't want to unmask capes. All before Sophia were the Wards in its entirety, Vista sat on the catch making sure her footwear was on correctly while her green visor and helmet laid next to her, she was wearing a green armor that protected her vitals and white apron like skirt with green lines and white leggings with green armor boots that go all the way up to her knees. Aegis was sitting on what I assumed was the console with in his rust-red costume with a shield print on his chest and his helmet beside him, revealing his tan skin. Clockblocker stood behind him holding his helmet that obscured his entire face looking less than amused, he was white redhead with blue eyes. Kid Win was resting on a couch with Gallant, who was dressed as a high-tech knight, the two tinkers were no doubt tired from their patrol and both unmasked. Kid Win was white, pale really, just what you'd think of tinker and he had brown short hair, his armor not really hiding how much of a stick he was, not that I could I talk. Gallant he was stall had blond hair and blue eyes and he was eyeing Shadow Stalker…Well granted Sophia was, as much as I hate to admit it, very pretty and fit.

I looked around the room, it was pretty boring really. It was dome shaped with walls that look both fake and sturdy, I wonder what they were for. There was a series of computers around the room, a table with a dozen chairs, two couches currently in use, and a big monitor that seems to be tracking a few blue dots on that was easy to tell was Brockton Bay. There was a countdown on the screen, don't know what it was for but it seems a bit cool. Huh. There was a white board, wouldn't be cheaper to have like a holographic white board or something? I mean there was two hero tinkers in Brockton Bay.

"Oh c'mon, you don't even have to do much. The little brat pretty much faries you everywhere and if it isn't her its Aegis who does the heavy lifting."

"HEY! I'm mature, ya know," Vista argued.

"Mature people don't say their mature idiot," she said.

"Lay off Missy," Aegis said, "you're late. Its stuff like this that gets you written up, Shadow Stalker."

"You said you wouldn't do it!"

"You said you didn't care," he countered. I smiled, even her team thought bad of her and at least here she gets in trouble. Finally, I get to see some justice get served.

"It's true, I heard it too," Clockblocker said rubbing his hair.

"Fuck off Dennis!"

"Holy shit," Gallant said, still staring at Sophia.

"What, you want add something Mr. Righteous?"

"Yeah. You're being mastered!" he said as he got up getting his helmet, everyone tensed.

"WHAT?" She said loudly. Yeah-what?

"Are you sure," Aegis asked.

"Yeah I'm sure."

"Oh fuck off! I'm not being mastered," Shadow Stalker said removing her mask. "What, did you see weird colors again Mr. nosey." Colors? What?

"Yeah, I'm seeing contradicting colors, and you know I can't turn it off. Earlier I saw rage and joy, right now I'm seeing anger, confusion and surprise; someone is influencing your emotions and making them weird." Seeing colors? What the hell? Wasn't Gallant a tinker? He could see emotions though colors, what?

"I'm not being fucking mastered, Jesus, I would know if I was not in control of my body."

"Isn't that what a mastered person says," Missy countered as she put on her helmet, flexing a little bit, as if she was getting ready for a fight. Sophia did the same and placed her mask.

"You twerp, I'm NOT BEING FUCKING MASTERED."

"Shit," I muttered, Gallant is not a tinker meaning he is some sort of cape who can see emotions and tell if someone is being mastered. Well at least he thinks it's only Sophia and not Sophia and me. Wait. Could this work?

I moved into the darkness, pushed passed the glass feeling and submersed myself in darkness as I viewed Sophia's perception of the world through something like a glass window.

"It's gone now," Gallant said.

"yes," I muttered, I can hide from the one guy who can find me.

"Yes," Sophia said, "because I'm not being mastered! You could be mastered for all we know and start accusing everyone!"

"And naturally he started with you, the most ps-" Dennis began but was cut off.

"Don't you fucking dare finish that," Sophia threatened. Dennis shrugged and put his helmet on. The wards looked at each other, Sophia was gripping her crossbow tight but it wasn't pointed at anyone.

"Sophia calm down," Aegis said as finished typing something, he stood up and approached her. "You know how it is," he lifted his arm offering something to Sophia. A bracelet. "Put this on."

"FUCK NO!" She shouted, the bracelet had an electrical circuit running through it. She pointed her crossbow at him.

"Shadow Stalker you know what the Master/Stranger protocols are. You are under a lot of suspicion right now, especially pointing a weapon at me. The quicker we get this over with the better it looks for you and the quicker you can leave and go home. Now PUT. IT. ON."

This was a good chance, I knew Aegis was a brute, he could handle, it. I stepped out.

"Aegis," Gallant said with his hands out, I knew he could shoot laser that change people's emotion, though now I think that was just his power and not technology, "It's back. Fear, anger, uncertainty and confidence, even pleasure."

"Shadow Stalker," he said, waving the bracelet. The wards were more or less alert.

"Sorry Aegis," I said, knowing he couldn't hear me. It's not like I wanted to this, not that much anyway, but I honestly don't need the wards knowing about me. "You're a hero aren't you Sophia," I began, "you're not like these guys, your words, right? You hate them all, don't you? This is your chance, one way or another you're doing this test." At least I think it's a test. "At the very least you can get something out of it. You can get satisfaction. He wrote you, up didn't he? You're already pointing at him." I could feel her glance at her crossbow. Through her anger I could feel the hunger, the bloodlust coming.

"Aegis," Gallant said in a warning tone.

"He stopped you earlier, he stopped your work, he deprived you of your right. This is your chance," I egged on, "Get even-no, beat him. Beat him and win." That seemed to do something, I felt her shiver. "You win all the time don't you. You can win this time. Just shoot and you'll win. Or, are you weak?" I felt it, the blood lust in full effect, before Gallant could say anything, she pulled the trigger. Win and weak huh? I'll have to remember that.

Aegis tried to dodge flying up and at Sophia's direction. The dart/syringe thing hit Aegis in the knee with a little bit too much force. Sophia from the glance saw something coming at her, Kid Win and Gallant's combined laser power, she dodged by going into her breaker state and running forward, the wall ceiling and floor suddenly became alive with electric current, she couldn't phase through. She side-stepped Clockblocker who got close way too fast, Vista's power I assume. She didn't have time to load another round so she did the fastest she could do in this situation. She took out one dart/arrow and stabbed Clockblocker on the back of his right thigh. He let out a cry of pain as Sophia and I found ourselves across the room and too far away from anything. Vista shortened our distance to get as separated and then lengthened it so that we couldn't escape. Well I could always escape, it's just that my escape is very-very-VERY far from pleasant and has a chance to kill me, so I would prefer to avoid having to fall back on it.

Well Sophia was cornered, though she tried to run towards the group, the crossbow already reloaded at amazing speeds, the distance did not shrink one bit. I looked, Aegis was fine, already pulled the arrow out of his knee, Clockblocker was more or less on a chair and looked out of it but did not dare to pull out the arrow-dart-thing, which I noticed she has two varieties of, one set with very long needles, and a set with tiny ones. Gallant and Kid Win seemed like they wanted to take a shot but-

"Guys wait," Aegis said, "Shadow Stalker, fight it. You know this isn't you. Just put the bracelet on and when can fix this."

Wow, got to give him points for trying to be a good person. Sadly, this was all Shadow Stalker, I'm not controlling or "mastering" her as they put it. My powers don't allow for that. So, when Aegis said it wasn't her-

"That did the opposite of you wanted," Gallant stated as I felt Shadow Stalker grow angry.

"No, really," Clockblocker said with a bit of slur but still managed to sound sarcastic, wow he was out of it, "why wrould she ever wanna shhootus, it snot like shesasvich."

"Clockblocker not helping!" Kid Win hissed as he stole glances of him.

Okay if I wanted to escape and not go out the very unpleasant way then I would need to take a chance. The wards all had their eyes covered so it wouldn't work but, again, Aegis might handle it.

"Are you a weak phony, Sophia?" I asked without expecting an answer, "are you just going to take that? Then again you are caged, aren't you," God this was a bit of rush, I could say things I would never dare to say to her without my power. Though it did suck at lot that I was encouraging her on any level, and that in this particular instance I was in all likelihood a villain. Oh well, it's not like they'll know.

"C'mon Shadow Stalker, this isn't you. Fight it," Aegis tried again. Around that time several black armored PRT troopers walked in armed with stun batons. One walked close to Aegis and handed one to him.

"Director's orders," he said. Aegis seemed frozen for a bit before he nodded and took the baton.

"Maldición," he said, huh Spanish? "Shadow Stalker don't make me do this."

"oh'lax, she roves it," muttered Clockblocker.

"Not helping!"

"See that, they all think your weak and pathetic. What don't you show them Sophia. Show them who you really are. He wants a fight Sophia, don't hide yourself, get angry! Show them-show HIM that you're are not weak!" That did it.

She took off her mask and screamed as she ran forward again, entering her breaker state to gain a bit more distance that Vista was making and shot an arrow that I suspect was enhanced with her power. Except for some odd reason the arrow went off course and nicked Kid Win, crap!

The shot luckily hit his visor, shattering a side of it, and for the brief instant, when Aegis tackled Sophia and reintroduced her(I'm pretty sure) with the business end of a stun baton, she locked eyes with Kid Win's uncovered right eye. I felt it.

For that brief instant, a bridge was formed and I could feel something at the other end, letting me know its there. A question just for me appeared.

[Connect?]

I responded

 **[(connect)]**

[acknowledged]

In less than a second, probably not even a quarter of a second, my world had changed to the world as perceived by Kid Win. His vision was filled with beats, unlike Sophia's heart that reveled in situations such as these, Kid Win's was much more erratic, he was in fear as he hit the ground and in a bit of pain. He seemed to tremble a bit.

"Hey hey hey," one of the PRT troopers said as he went to Kid Win's aid. "Your fine, just a scratch," the man said. I nodded to myself as I pushed behind the glass wall and submerged myself in darkness.

"Gallant anything on anyone?" Aegis asked. Said hero looked around.

"Not that I can see, no," he answered. "But it _has_ disappeared before," he pointed out.

"But it was only on Soph-Shadow Stalker, right," Vista asked. "And it came back only on her."

"…She's right. Knowing the director," Aegis before shaking his head, "if anyone else had abnormal emotions she would have had us all in quarantine, thankfully we still need to make our rounds and it was only limited to Sophia. But just to be safe Master/Stranger protocols are in full effect, none of the wards can go home, if anything is out of the ordinary, for ANY of us, quarantine. No visitors today." No one seemed to complain, some of the wards had their attention split between Aegis who walked to the console and the PRT troopers who put many armbands on Sophia, ones she can't take off by herself. "Kid Win," Kid Win snapped his focus to Aegis who began to type things into the consol. "I know what you want to do more than anything, but you have limited access to materials, no access to the ATLUS library, and try to keep your designs on paper. I know that modeling helps you better but-"

"I know, this isn't the first time," Kid Win said.

"Sorry," Aegis said, the count down on the screen seemed to have been canceled, huh guess that was for visitors, they only had 20 minutes left. Aegis turned to Gallant, "I know you just got back from patrol but would you mind taking over for Clockblocker?" At the mention at the name everyone, myself included, turned to look at Clockblocker who had his head in his arm sleeping.

"Should we take the arrow out now," Vista asked.

"Probably, but let's leave that to the doc," Aegis answered. "Well," he asked Gallant.

"Yeah," he said out in a sigh, "I'm probably the best person to go outside with, my powers and all. Just can we…wait a few minutes? I'd like to rest for a bit."

"Deal," Aegis said as he continued to type, "I need to report to Armsmaster before we leave anyway so it's fine. He's on his way. Three guesses as to how he feels."

"He's mad isn't he," Kid Win asked.

"You'd know better than anyone how tinkers are when they get dragged away from their workshop," was Aegis' response. Wow, I didn't need my powers to know that Armsmater angry was probably something nobody wanted to deal with.

"Don't worry Gallant," Vista began, I don't know if it was to break the awkward silence or she just wanted to talk, "I'll make sure to make patrol easier on you."

"…Thanks," Gallant said after a very brief pause.

"You're welcome!" She beamed with a smile. I could help but smile and snort a bit, I also didn't have to be a thinker to know a kid crush when I see one.

Kid Win began walking as he took off his Visor and inspected it. "Do you know if I'm able to make another one of these? Right away I mean."

"…it shouldn't be a problem I would think," Aegis said, "but you would have to get it cleared first, just to be sure."

He just nodded, "still, I know she complained about the dart messing her aim but, I didn't think it was that bad," he said. I guess it was pretty obvious who she was aiming at.

"Well…cope I guess."

"Do you guys know if this is a new thinker or if its Regent or you know another…."

"Regent's power doesn't work like that."

"But its mind control, isn't it?"

"Body control," Aegis said.

" **SEMANTICS!"** Clockblocker yelled making Kid Win, Aegis, Vista, and I jump.

"SHIT!"

"FUCK!"

"FUACK!"

"F-" Aegis put a hand on Vista's mouth. She huffed and crossed her arms.

"Ha-ha-ha-ha, wooorth it," Clockblocker cheered in his drugged state.

"Jesus, Dean, little warning," Aegis said.

"Sorry the room was too tense, I think we needed that," Gallant answered, I guess he was Dean without his helmet.

"I'm not little you know," Vista said taking her helmet off, "I know what cursing is."

"Missy, you're young, you know how it is," Aegis said. Still the girl huffed and pouted, it was adorable.

"Damn how is he still up," Kid Win asked.

"I think he said that he tries the drug every night or so, you know, incase Shadow Stalker ever tried to use it on him," Gallant said.

"Smart," Vista said, I couldn't help but agree, "I mean if she ever has a small ditch out in the woods for any of us, its," she nodded to Clockblocker who seems like the drug finally put him down.

"Yep," Kid Win said. "So, you still going to try tonight?" Aegis looked at him, "You know, the blue guy."

"Browbeat? I was going to but you know how it is, Master/stranger protocols. I'll try again tomorrow. But I've seen the Undersiders talking with him, especially that girl with the silver tongue." Everyone groaned. Huh, undersiders, never of them. Seems like it's worth a look later on.

"I really hope they don't recruit him. I've had it up to here with the fuckin' mutant dogs, last thing I need is for them have a brute." Mutant dogs? Brockton Bay had something like that?

"Well…try hard I guess," Kid Win said, "look would it be-"

"Go man," Aegis with a slight chuckle, guessing what Kid Win wanted. "I already locked you out of the stuff per protocol and I should be enough to debrief Armsmaster. Plus, you're due for down time, just make sure to make it up to Gallant."

"How the hell do I that? The guy has everything," Kid Win whined walking away while looking at his Visor.

"I'll settle for a jetpack if you can make it," Gallant said from where he sat on one of the couches, Missy taking a spot next to him.

"Yeah yeah, it's in the works," Kid Win said walking away. As he walked he would try on his visor, almost as if he was wishing it wasn't broken. As he did the world he saw changed, not drastically mind you but it did. You know how shades would protect your eyes from the sun, well this did that and made your vision clearer rather than darker, like it eliminated just enough light or the right rays our eyes catches to give a clear vision. Of course, every time he tried it on cracks in the world would appear. I laughed a little as I followed him (I didn't get the benefit of the glass pushing me when I was behind it in the darkness), I honestly thought it would make everything red or orange looking, I felt silly thinking that. He was an actual tinker of course, not like Gallant apparently, so of course he wouldn't actually have something like cheap glasses. We got to a door that had an electronic padlock and Kid Win's hover board on the wall next to it. After a few seconds of thumbprints, complex password that went a bit over my head, retina, and even a bone scan, and we were in.

The room was big like about the size of a large living room. It was square-ish (not quite a square but not a rectangle either), standard four walls with a camera in the room, each wall had a mirror, for what I don't know but it actually helped reduce the darkness (when Kid Win looks at it) at least. At the backend of the room there was a large desk with a computer (like a screen built into the wall with a keyboard in front of it), a scanner/printer that seemed to be tinker tech, papers, several writing utensils and what I suspect is a light board, and it had tons of drawers. The walls on the sides had several tools hanging about, some looked normal others I had no idea what they were even were let alone what their function was. There were a few more tables set up with devices and gizmo that looked nowhere near complete. And finally, there was a small quaint bed near the door, a trashcan, and hand sanitizer and a cover. Kid Win walked to a small charging station where he plugged in his pistols, and a battery for his hover board, after that he walked up to the cover and pulled out a pack of M&Ms. He walked over to the keyboard and sat down on a revolving chair with wheels and snacked.

* * *

For the last hour and a half I have seen Kid Win tinker, parts interesting and part boring. First, he started drawing, sketching things out, he had lots of pages for different things, well its more tracing to be honest, it's like a highlight appears and he covers it. He had designs for guns that didn't seem to go anywhere, several new designs of his visor but he couldn't settle for one, especially since he just kept toying with ideas and shapes and no actual work. Then he started using his internet privileges, some of it was for youtube videos, other was researching scientific principles (inspiration maybe?), and some of it was the PHO site. He talked to a few fans of his argued with a few people, it was funny. He got stuck on a few comments so I gave him a little nudge here and there. Nothing bad or anything, I wasn't good at retorts and neither was he it seems. In the end we just gave nice comments, recited the laws or codes of ethics, mostly the morality of why the wards didn't go overboard with criminals. Honestly half of it was copy and paste.

After that he started watching videos of, well, himself. He saw how he built things, how sometimes he would go into a trance. He took notes of it, almost as if was trying to figure what his process was. Well It's not like I knew how it was for tinkers.

He was dedicated I could give him that. He kept watching and re-watching himself, it was mostly when he built his armor, the guns, and the hover board, but he had some of the stuff he half made too. He kept at it, growing more and more frustrated. Eventually he shook his head and exited out of the video library.

I was sitting on the desk with my head in my palms as I stared at him. I would take glances at the dark wall behind, him, the void outside his perception and sometimes the mirrors to see around. I could leave if I wanted to but again it was very far from pleasant.

After a while he pulled out a backpack from underneath the table and took out some textbook. It was the typical high school stuff. Grammar, brit-lit, history, even a bit of computer classes, nothing advance just java it seems. He knocked out his homework pretty fast. Then he got to math. It was weird, I would see him do well with a lot of equations, but at times he would get stuck simple ones. I noticed that with equations dealing more with letter than numbers or theories he would be fine, but on ones with mostly numbers and rely on a large amount of theory he gets discouraged and ends up struggling. Through the entire time he was working on math he felt distraught I guess. Then it hit me.

He would use a calculator function in his keyboard to come up with accurate number for his sketches but in all honestly some of those could have been done by hand and it might have even been faster to do in your head. I would have figured that he would have had better time with math and maybe even be a wiz at it thanks to his Tinker powers. Then again, it's not like I knew how it works. He did well with letters but struggled with numbers.

"Hey, Kid Win, do," I know he couldn't hear me, but I still felt bad for asking. "Kid Win," I said again surer of myself this time, "do you have Dyscalculia?" I felt it, both frustration and sadness. Crap now I feel guilty.

I placed a hand on his shoulder, I felt a light twitch as well as confusion as he reached up and placed his hand on top of mine, feeling for something. I grasped a little harder. "It's not a big deal, everyone hates math. You just have a little more reason to." I felt the feeling lighten but not by much. I wonder.

"Here," I grabbed his right hand, which he stares at curiously. I couldn't force it but I could nudge it a certain direction, he didn't seem bothered and seemed intent to let the hand move. I moved to the key bored and using his index finger, I moved the mouse that was a portal trackpad, started a new search and typed it in. After a few seconds of scrolling I found the page I was looking for. It was a page my mother put up a long time ago for a class, a project she had to do. It was about memorizing, how there was a method for it, how people who aren't thinkers use this method to compete to see which normal human has the best memory.

"In the past, Rome or Greece, people couldn't go into courts or the senate with a stack of paper. They had to memorize everything. Large stacks of notes, enough material to count as a book, and they had to memorize it all." Perks of being the daughter of a university professor, "They memorized everything front to back then from the back to the front, and lastly they used pictures-images," I corrected myself, "to help them remember paragraphs or even whole pages." I talked as he read and scrolled down. Then I felt something. Inspiration? I have felt it before from other people, Sophia included. But this one was different. It was more pronounced and complex, was this a tinker inspiration?

I could feel him grow excited, but I shook my head. One thing at a time.

"Focus," I said as I moved his hand away from the mouse and keyboard and maneuvered it to the math homework. I moved his hand to the pencil.

He grabbed his pencil and began to move it around his fingers, playing with it. I rolled my eyes, boys. "Focus," I said once more smacking the side of his head making him both blink and jump a little. I guided his hand again "This formula here, you could probably remember it better if…."

* * *

After an hour, we finally got done. I didn't give him any answers. I just gave him nudges with some ideas, had to repeat the ideas, a lot before he finally got the message and started using the ideas. He still struggled but I could feel that he was happy, not overly so but it seemed like he made progress. I guess that was a good reason as any to be happy. After his homework was done he started sketching the inspiration that was bothering him the entire time he did homework. He was quick this time, he finished in ten minutes, only instead of visor, pistols, armor and tinker gismo, he had sketched out a notebook with plastic pages of sorts. Both of us were stumped as to how this was an inspiration or even tinker tech. He kept working on the strange thing making notes here and there as his inspiration demanded but he seemed pretty confused. I was too but I was first one who got it, so I nudged him towards the answer.

"You were looking at ways to memorize things," I said. That didn't work. "It's a notebook right, the thick plastic pages seem like it can be written on then shaken away, like an Etch-a-Sketch toy." The idea seemed to make it through, but just to be sure. "You can use each page to practice with, make notes, study with and then shake it away and see if you can do it again. No, I'm sure you can use it anyway you like. It's a good study tool." After I said that he kept working on it before he was satisfied, he added stuff like a light so that he can sketch things, flip a page and turn on the light (like his light board) and sketch again as if he was animating. Not only that he added something to it so that the pages could "memorize" what he wrote. I gave him a few nudges so that the notebook could interact with computers and send or order files from it. It was like a smart pad or something only it seemed both better and inferior. He seemed like he wanted to add a feature for videos but I nudged him away, I told him it was a learning tool, that if the user wanted instructions better to add an audio function have the page "animate" the problem while the audio played. After that he wrote what I suspected is a code, program I think.

After that he swung himself to the printer/scanner, doing a quick spin in his chair (pushing me around in the process thanks to the glass wall, but I enjoyed it) and scanned his designs and code. He swung back to his keyboard without spinning. Got his scans, went to a program on his computer, brought up his sketches, added a few notes, like what it might be able to do (with the right program), what features it has, what was the inspiration and what not. After that was done he sent it in for review.

After that he went back and collected his sketches and put in a drawer with other sketches. When that was done he sat back in his chair relaxing, content, happy. I played a small, very small part but I felt happy too.

Then there was beep on the screen.

I clicked it, a message apparently. Shadow Stalker was still in quarantine but the rest of the wards have had the Master/Stranger protocol lifted but to remain vigilant. Kid Win smiled. He logged out of his operating system, restarted the computer, wherever it was, and instead of accessing an operating system I knew, he used a completely different one called ATLUS. As soon as it was done booting he entered a password and username and logged in. It instantly opened up to what the page named "ATLUS Library" full of tinker tech. I could visibly see his eyes grow and his mind go to work. I didn't need to feel his emotions to know that he was like a little kid in a candy store, or the equivalent with a boy and a computer. I saw something weird. I see things from what people perceive, for instance, if I was in someone's world view who was red-green colorblind, well if you want a clear example look up red-green colorblind simulator on youtube. But what I saw from Kid Win's perspective were highlights, just like when he was sketching, what hell? Tinkertech was highlighted, names, descriptions certain sentences were highlighted just for his eyes. I could feel it, his inspiration coming, but unlike earlier it was a mess, I felt things clashing, connecting, and work against each other, yet Kid Win took in full, almost relishing in the feeling his mesh of tinker inspiration put him in.

* * *

He groaned as he looked at a recent unfinished gizmo he's been working on. I think it's some sort freeze ray or something, I don't know, I couldn't really tell. Turns out the wall has panels that have equipment in them. Stuff for him to make things out of I guess, unless he's restricted. I, once again, sat on a desk and watched him work.

Well I was bored he wasn't leaving the room so I figured why not help him make something. Again, and again, I have no idea how tinkers work. But hopefully I could put him in the right mindset.

I read that tinkers have a specialty, something they are really good at. Sphere, before he became a psychotic lunatic named Mannequin, had a specialty of making biosphere's, enclosed systems. Before he went psychotic and replaced his entire body as mannequin parts he had created dozens of designs for ways to improve the earth, even how to solve world hunger, but sadly and endbringer attack happened, killed his family, destroyed his life work, and he went full psycho. Armsmaster, the only other hero tinker in the bay has a specialty of taking a bunch of technology together, like cramming it together, and making it work…still don't know why he chose halberd. And finally, the last tinker in the bay is Squealer, a female drug addict who specialty is large vehicles, like monster trucks and what not.

Kid Win, however, doesn't have a specialty, at least not an apparent one. People have tried to take apart his armor, pistols, and hover board, not the actual equipment, and tried to see if they can figure out what they all have in common. No luck.

From what hear Kid Win's visor is fair tinker wear, same as the armor, the only specials things are the guns and hover board. From what people suspect, they worked differently. The hover board is some sort of gravity manipulation people suspect and the guns shoot bolts of light.

"Hey Kid Win, do you have any idea what your hover board and guns have in common?" He didn't respond. I rolled my eyes and asked him again. My powers were on the weak side of "mastering." He didn't get it. I phrased it a different way and he still didn't get it. So, I tried a few more time and…then I realized why he probably didn't react. Why he was frustrated…the entire time he was actually thinking about what connection the two have.

Okay…how about this.

"Kid Win, what inspired you to make these. What made you want a hover board and pistols?" That got something. He sat back, pushed himself to his keyboard and typed a search for "Hero" on the Library. The picture of man in costume came up, it was Hero, the first tinker and original member that created the Protectorate and also deceased. He was killed by Siberian, another psychopath in slaughterhouse nine along with Mannequin. He scrolled down to some of the stuff he created, well, damaged stuff that was recorded. I guess they didn't start making a library until after he was killed. Among the stuff there was a hover board and a variety of weapons he created from grenades to different types of pistols. Also, his color scheme for his broken armor it's red and gold.

He modeled himself after Hero I realized. Can he copy tinker tech? No. He's not going around using a halberd or riding around a giant monster truck, so that isn't the case. It would have been too easy. Okay, what _has_ Kid Win created? He said a jetpack was in the works but he only half sketched one, Gallant was confident asking for that.

"Hey Kid Win, what have you created?" He leaned back and seemed to reminisce. Right. "you viewed yourself working, maybe seeing a list of what you created might show a link." I saw a bit of interest. "It might help," I egged on. "You might find your specialty." That did it. He searched himself on the library and brought up his work.

"Thanks," I said as he nodded, then he got a confused. Wait did he actually hear me that time? I shook my head, not the time. I looked at the list that was his work. It was a gallery really. I influenced him a bit to scroll down but he did so fast enough that I didn't get to read the description. It was mostly pistols, some add-ons for his hover board, that would mean taking apart the hover board and put more stuff on it, different type of visors that were not cleared for issues on invading privacy. Some, like grenades he made were too dangerous or simply had too much potential to involve civilians or cause to much collateral damage. Then I saw the power armors. I took a bit of influence but I had Kid Win isolate them. There was only two, Kid Win's armor and Gallant. From what it says, Gallant's armor was a "spare" Kid Win made when Gallant joined, it was further modified to look like a gun-metal colored knight. It said that it does give Gallant strength but 80% of that is just for him to be able to move around. But the cosmetic touches weren't just for show, it actually helped toughen his armor, also making it heavier. It was customized for him. It hit me.

The book Kid Win designed, he made it to help him learn, he customized it, added features that were easy to use and change functions! He personalized it! He had a variety of half built guns, lots of sketches that didn't seem to go anywhere, he had myriad of different alternate version of his guns! He emulated himself after Hero who created a variety of weapons so Kid Win's power helped personalize that part of the tech to suit him! The note on Gallant's armor said that Gallant wanted to be seen as a knight of justice so Kid Win made the alteration that increase the strength of the armor and gave Gallant (I'm assuming) the look he was going for.

Sure, Gallant wanted a jetpack but that would clash with his gimmick, but if Kid Win did something like a horse or hovercraft shaped like a horse he might have a better time creating it. But how to test it? Maybe….

"Hey Kid Win, Miss Militia wants something like a Swiss army knife but she wants it accessible without needing to use her power or reach for it. What would you make?" That got the inspiration working. "What do you think Armsmaster would make? Like a watch or wristband." Okay I was cheating here. Dad and I saw a commercial where they were marketing something called a Leatherman Tread Bracelet which is basically a wearable a Swiss army knife that you could use as a watch. Dad laughed and said it was almost like the "multi-tool" MacGyver used, a paperclip. I hope Kid Win is a nerd. "It's something MacGyver would use instead of a paperclip." Oh boy did that work.

Kid Win jumped from his chair and rushed to the panels and began collecting stuff. He came back and started making something, a gauntlet of sorts. Over the course of making it he consulted the library for something every five minutes, it was his pistols (which were apparently called Spark pistols) and some data Armsmaster collected, and near the end he started to code something from scratch. Okay, I did not expect that. After half an hour construction and forty minutes of nonstop coding, he was done. "Alright," he said as he eyed his creation. It was a gray gauntlet looking like it was made for punching, had a circle in the palm with lines running through the center of each finger, the gauntlet had white buttons on the side for typing. He laughed as he put it on. This was not what I was expecting at all! I was thinking more like a wearable wristband multi-tool or something!

He grabbed a bunch of tools, connected his gauntlet to a computer, pulled out a scanner from a drawer on the table and then began to scan each tool. I could feel him bursting with excitement, honestly it was infectious and I couldn't help but feel excited too. I mean I did help with like two percent of the work.

After he was done he walked up to one of his half-finished devices, a visor he started making earlier, and put his right hand in front of him and turned it on.

The gauntlet powered on with hum that sent a shiver down our spines. Both Kid Win and I were excited. He pressed a few buttons on the small blank keyboard on the gauntlet (must have been set to a keyboard Kid Win _did_ have memorized because there weren't enough keys for the alphabet and he would press two buttons at once some times) and then he took a deep breath.

"Screwdriver- flat head," he said clearly. The gauntlet began to make a high pitch hum, as if power up and then there was a white light that condensed into the shape of a screwdriver.

"Holy crap," Kid Win laughed out. As he held the white object in his gauntlet as if it were an actually screwdriver. Then he started using a variety of tools he scanned. He kept using each one seeing if it works. At one point, he threw one of his white tools only for it to instantly disappear.

He kept testing things as I saw something from the mirror at the edge of his peripheral, the door to his room was silently opening. Crap. I quickly ran behind the glass and hid in the darkness, just as Gallant and Armsmaster entered the room.

"Hey Chris," Gallant called out, now Dean I guess. He wasn't in his armor. Chris jumped as he turned around.

"DEAN! What the hell!"

"Sorry couldn't knock," he answered with a shrug.

"A new invention," questioned Armsmaster. As he walked in, blue midnight armor, beard and helmet with V-shaped black visor, his iconic halberd on his back. Wow the Bay's best tinker in front of me, so to speak.

"Yeah, I just got this inspiration, like, 'what would MacGyver use,' and this, I ended up with this."

"…who?" Dean asked. Understandable, I didn't know either until my dad told me about it.

"An old TV show, it was cool. He had a multi-tool, a paperclip, and I'm sure he would love one of these. It's basically Dauntless' energy only instead of firing hard electricity I'm molding it into tools I scanned," he pointed to his scanner with tools around it.

"Any tool?" Armsmaster questioned.

"Well…" Kid win trailed off, "basic tools anyway, I can't get drills and soldering irons to work, yet. Eventually I want to make it so that the tools are at my fingertips."

"Interesting," Armsmaster said as he eyed the device. "Can you make knives and batons with this?"

"Probably but I found that any tool made this way only stable in the immediate vicinity of the gauntlet. So besides the power restriction, there's also a shape and range restriction. I'm not sure if I can get around that. Plus, the thing is bulky. Do you think you can help me?" Chris asked Armsmaster who took a minute to think about it.

"Maybe, I'm busy with my own projects. This," he pointed at the gauntlet, "has a lot of potential. Send it for review, when it passes I'll take a look at it. Maybe we can slim it down, add an extra function or two to it. Beside lab uses, we might be able to use this on the field to make modifications or even tinker if we really have to." I couldn't feel Kid Win anymore but I knew he felt proud and happy.

"You do realize that you would have to get close to actually do damage with that," Gallant stated.

"I did not," Kid Win said with sigh. "Um is Sophia okay?"

"She's still in quarantine and in deep trouble." Armsmaster answered.

"They found some incriminating evidence on her personal phone," Dean clarified. Huh, that might actually be a good thing.

"Right now, I'm doing rounds with Gallant before he goes home." Armsmaster continued form where he left off, "from what he described I find that there is a possibility that there's a Stranger with master powers running around rather than a range master."

"Really?" Chris asked. GODDAMNIT! I thought I was in the clear. "Is that's why you came in without asking."

"Again, sorry about that. You're fine," Gallant said, "the theory is that the contradicting emotions I found earlier was actually two people rather than one. However the stranger is doing it, his power allows him to blend with one person. Well it's just a likely theory, so we don't actually know for sure."

"Still, we had to make sure," Armsmaster answered nonchalantly. "I made sure that Gallant isn't mastered, and with you, that makes everyone. Besides, this, "multi-tool," and that book you sent to review. I doubt a master/stranger will compel you to make that." If only he knew.

"You made a book," Gallant asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Something to help me learn," Chris answered with a shrug but I knew he was embarrassed.

"We're done here," Armsmaster said, "I let you get back to tinkering."

"Actually, I think I'll hit the hay, I'm pretty tired and for once I got two complete devices for review." Oh crap, I didn't think about that. I don't know what will happen, I might go into his dreams but probably not and right now is not the time to experiment!

Armsmaster gave a nod, as both he and Dean began to leave.

"Oh wait, Dean, do you have time for a quick chat?"

Dean looked at Armsmaster who gave a quick nod and left.

"Sure, what do you need?"

"Ah well-"

"I need you to hook me with Glorygirl's hot sister," Clock-Dennis said as he walked in before the door closed in his civvies.

"NO!" Chris quickly denied.

"You up already?" Dean asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Dude it's been hours plus I built up a tolerance," he replied. "And I'm pretty sure our local whipped boy can do it."

"I'm not whipped," Dean defended, "and we're off at the moment."

"And that's not what I wanted to ask," Chris said, earning looks from both Dean and Dennis. "Okay it's in the ball park, but I'm not asking about Amy."

"Ah the young'on wants to know how to get a girl," Dennis said in a sage voice, "and you're whipped," he directed at Dennis.

"Am not."

"Do you pay for her stuff?"

"Well, yeah, bu-"

"Do you get together whenever she wants?"

"Well it would be crime ot-"

"Does she give you shit and you take it?"

"…It's complicated."

"See, whipped?" he said as if that was the winning argument.

"Look here, my kid wonder" Dennis said grabbing Chris from the shoulder and sitting him on the bed, he grabbed the chair as Dean sat next Chris on the bed. He sat reversely with his arms crossed on the top of the headrest. "In order to catch a fish, you got throw the lure out there, you got get out there first," he said pointing behind Chris.

"I agree with him," Dean commented.

"See, and just keep throwing and keep switching bait until something catches."

"Well I might not agree with that but he has a point, I mean were you expecting us to bring you along with us when went to Fugly Bob's or Zombie Burger and introduce you to girl?"

"Well…."

"Well we _can_ do that," Dennis said, "but the chicks we know that would go out with us aren't into…well…this," he waved at Chris. Neither Dean nor I had to be parahumans to know what Chris was feeling. "Look I don't mean it in a bad way, girls like brain yeah, but what they hang out with the most is the body. And you…well you're a stick." Chris looked at Dean, probably looking for support.

"Sorry, the girls I do know that I'm sure with the right nudge would go on a date with you, they already have boyfriends. Well, one has a girlfriend." Chris let out a sigh, he was about to ask something but Dennis cut him off.

"If the question has something to do with online dating, then don't bother." And Chris shut his mouth. "Gotta lose the stick bud, especially if you want Glorygirl class chicks."

"Ehhh…well I wouldn't say it'd be a bad thing, especially since were heroes," Dean added. Chris just sagged.

"Yeah," he said.

"Hey-hey, look at me." He did and I felt the bridge, I'm sure I couldn't hide fast enough before Dean caught me so didn't take it. "Cheer up bud," Dennis said rolling in and playfully slapping his hand Chris' shoulder and grasping it. "Armsy does it, I mean we can all agree he's a tad bit obsessive and bit a dick, but he juggles working out and tech-ing out just fine. Next time you should ask him for pointers."

"You'll be fine," Dean said putting his hand on the other shoulder.

"Tell you what," Dennis said snapping his finger to a point at Chris, "next time we get a break. You, me, pennyworth and fuckface will go out to a joint, Bob's or Zombie or something, doesn't matter, and well help you. We will coach you." He pointed to himself, "I got the moves," he pointed at Dean, "he can find the girl, and Carlos" he thumbed behind him, "he can help you deal with this," he gestured at Chris' body. If I didn't know any better I wouldn't have thought he was referring to Aegis.

"…Wait isn't Carlos gay," Chris asked. Really?

"He goes both way," Dean said. Oh. Wow.

"And not only that, he makes us all look like shit. Look, me? I take my time, I choose what to wear. A hat, jacket, maybe even a necklace, you know, what the ladies like. Pennyworth? He's got the top-notch clothes, so he just picks whatever looks good and the girls can smell the quality. But fucking Carlos? All he does is put on a white t-shirt and a well-worn pair jeans that happens to be ripped in the right way and he makes us all look like shit. If any of us can help you that way, its him."

"…I'll agree that last part," Dean said.

"See, next time we get the chance, we'll get you a girl. But you got throw the lure man!" Dennis said getting up and walking to the door.

"He's right," Dean said looking at Chris' and standing up with him, "well help you, but you have to go through with it, alright?"

He nodded. "Right, right, right" Chris answered. I felt the bridge. Okay risk time.

[Connect?]

 **[(Connect)]**

[Acknowledged]

Okay and now I just-OH WOW IS DEAN ON ACID? Both Chris and Dennis had something lik-oh wait colors. He did say emotions on people are colors to him. Huh. This is kind of weird. Both Chris and Dennis looked the same, same colors (skin, clothes, hair, ect.), but they had "colors" that didn't affect the way they looked. It was weird.

"Oh wait," Chris said stopping both Dean and Dennis, his color, I didn't know what it was, but Dean seemed relax. "What did they find on Sophia?" …worry or maybe curiosity?

"Oh, her phone, turns out she's been bullying a girl, someone named Taylor Hebert, um one r. Turns out they were planning something…really gross." That…doesn't sound good.

"Fucked up is what it was," Dennis said, okay I think this mixture is anger or disgust or disbelief or all three, "Jesus who the hell would collect a bunch of used tampons." Used tampons? What the fuck was she planning?

"The hell?"

"It's fucked up," Dean admitted. "Turns out she has "friend" that will help collect it and keep them from getting in trouble."

"Well if that's not suspicious," Chris said.

"Ooooh it gets better," Dennis said, "Piggot had the school 'checked,' you know, used Armsy's connection to Dragon to check something out. They found out the teachers had been receiving questionable amount of donations to their accounts. Same amount, different dates."

"What the hell?" Yeah-what the hell! The teachers were getting paid to see me suffer?

"Wait, it gets better, while she didn't see any changes Sophia's or her mother, or her friends bank account, she has gone through the phone, tracked where she's been, and used the cameras to see what the smoking nutjob's been up to. Camera's caught her making huge purchases on a credit card but their accounts didn't deduct anything around the time."

"…Wait…holy shit, you don't mean…" Chris said in disbelief, "no, Sophia's violent, deranged, but…."

"Someone's paying her off," Dean confirmed. "Combine that with the fact that the area she patrols is opposite of us but always toes one territory..."

"Not to mention the only other rich asshole who could afford this and would want to keep a ward of all people in their pockets," Dennis continued.

"Coil," Chris finished. I've heard of him, he's the one guy who controls a good chunk of the Bay with just regular mercenaries. "Fuck, what's Piggot planning?"

"Nothin'" Dennis said. WHAT?

"Seriously?"

"The evidence was gained illegally and there's no solid proof of connection. Just guesses. If anything, she'll probably tighten Sophia's collar and maybe give her mandatory activities that give back to the community, probably a transfer, but that's it. Probably not even mention the how Coil thing and focus on the bullying. We think we might be able to feed Coil bad info through Sophia. But if we let her know that the jig is up, send her to juvy, not only do we lose someone who can help in endbringer fights, but what will the guy with a ton of mercenaries do?"

"…They'd bust her out of anywhere that isn't the birdcage," Chris said in realization as both Dean and Dennis nodded.

"With her gone, hopefully the teacher can do their jobs, but the PRT and Protectorate won't intervene, you know, ward identity," Dean said. "But that girl is on her own with her other bullies."

"Jesus, can't we, I don't know, have her transfer or something," Chris asked.

"Already thought of that," Dennis answered with a shake of the head.

"Again, PRT involvement." Dean said, "Dragon did say a request was put in to transfer to Arcadia, but she's from a low-income household, one parent, and her grades, probably because of the bullying, are low. She's also skipping classes. She can't afford Arcadia and we can't justify bumping her up the list without merit. She can transfer to other schools but Dragon thinks that the reason she hasn't is because Arcadia is far away as it is, the other schools are even further out."

"It sucks but it is what it is," Dennis said.

"The best we can do is threaten the teachers to do their job and that's it," Dean said.

"Unless, you know, you transfer to that shithole and protect her yourself," Dennis offered.

"…I'm good," Chris answered.

"Then yeah, that's it. Night," Dennis said walking away. Dean gave a nod a muttered "night." And Chris reciprocated it.

As they walked out in the hall in a silence Dean asked "Pennyworth?"

"Only rich comic book guy I could think of," Dennis answered with a shrug.

* * *

I was pissed, after a long campaign of bullying and all I got was one girl with a tighter leash and maybe a bunch of teachers scared into doing their jobs. Well it was better than nothing, but I was still pissed! Well, yes, I did technically incite her to attack the wards but STILL!

Dean, it seems, can see weird colors on people and I think I have a grasp on what each color mean, only a very basic grasp, but Dean can't see his own color. It makes sense, he knows he what he feels so it'd be redundant. It was interesting, seeing how Dean reacted to people, how people I think knew how his powers worked reacted to him. It was kind of sad, the wards were cool with him, but the adults, the troopers, they didn't trust him and even felt scared of him. And the way he acted with some people, it felt so smooth and he was so gentle. I could see why he went with Gallant the high-tech knight. It suited him.

At the moment, he was driving home. I was sitting on the obscured seat next to him at the edge of his peripheral vision, a little hard because of the glass wall, but hey no seatbelts. Huh. Better not get into that habit. His car…fuck, he did have everything.

So far, we were going in the right direction. Then he made a right. Crap. And he was in a car so very little chance he would make eye contact with someone. No other car on the road either. CRAP.

He came to a stop at a red light. Whelp, looks like I'm doing this. I pushed back on the glass and became engulfed in the darkness, only the light from the window to Dean's world giving me comfort. The green light came and he quickly left me behind.

The light fully gone, the connection severed. His window disappeared and I was left alone in a black abyss.

Right away I had a panic attack. I couldn't breathe, I literally couldn't breathe. There was no heat or cold, no wind, no smell, no light. I shook trying to suck in air but I couldn't do it, there was no air. I wasn't standing on anything. There was nothing. I didn't need to breath but my body still demanded air and still I tried to satisfy as I trembled.

Complete and utter fear took hold of me. There was a light source. Thank god, she's still awake. I made my way towards it, ignoring the lights below me. I knew they could see me and I knew from the way they looked at me that they were jealous. Maybe they could easily weather this but it was a struggle.

When I finally got to the light source I felt relieved, I could see her, she was awake watching some old rerun with dad. I walked closer, there was still a window only this one meant one thing. I was home.

I looked at the girl in front of me, the original, Taylor Hebert. I pressed the glass wall and-

* * *

I jumped and shivered as the memory of the clone that came back to me, my headache getting worse.

"You alright sweetie," Dad asked with a bit of concern.

"Yeah," I lied, "I just realized I forgot a textbook at school. I'm probably going to have to go to the library to get information for my essay tomorrow." He chuckled.

"Yeah that'll happen. If you wake up early tomorrow I can give you lift." I shook my head as I processed the information my last clone gave me.

"No thanks, I rather sleep in."

"If you're sure," he said. I just nodded. I could feel my blood boil a bit; Sophia Hess, of all people, was a fucking hero? FUCK. The only thing that calmed me down was the stupid stunt my clone pulled with Sophia, she made her attack the wards and got her in trouble. And not only that she was somehow getting someone to pay the teachers to ignore her bullying me, WHAT THE HELL? The teachers were literally making money off my misfortune.

"You alright," Dad asked. I took a deep breath.

"No, I shouldn't have left that textbook."

"It's a mistake sweetie, it happens," Dad assured me, I just nodded. The only good thing is that she was getting a tighter leash and the teachers were getting a very stern warning to do their jobs. Fuck my head. The longer my clones stay away from me, the more information they collect, and when they return, I got that information. It's nothing like a perfect memory, more like you learn a vocab word from class and then forget it as soon as the test is over until you suddenly feel like you want to use it, which is rarely. And as with more information taken at once, the more my brain has to sort it out, find a place for it, and then sift through it; the process gives me a huge headache. Thankfully it was disappearing.

I triggered a few weeks ago. I didn't even notice. The bridge I could feel when I made eye contact was distracting and then when I finally did it.

[Propagate? 3 Available]

 **[(propagate)]**

[acknowledged]

[2 propagation available]

I didn't know what I did. All I knew was that I replicated something. Then when my clone returned I learned that I could make a mental copy of myself, have it travel around with people. I can't read minds, I can feel emotions, and I'm limited to what they perceive. How they see, how they hear, how they feel and how they smell, that kind of world. I can't do much. My voice, no matter how loud I get, it ends up being nothing more than a whisper from the very back of their mind, my touch ends up being nothing more than an odd sensation; my clones are basically the equivalent of a whisper on someone's shoulder. My cape name, for when I actual get invovled, is Earworm.

Tonight, was a boon I guess. My goal was just to see if I can get ahead of whatever my bullies had instore for me. But this was good too. I knew all the wards name and faces, Sophia was in deep shit, I got some dirt on Emma, and I helped Chris with math and tinker out. Sadly, I had to go through the dark abyss to get back to…me? Crap having clone memories was messing how I view myself. One cool think I found was that I could bring stuff with me as a clone. Binoculars and what not. Not that I could record or film anything, I mean my clone could but all I get are memories. But I can use binoculars to see stuff faraway…that's what I did in the abyss.

One thing I found is that my mental clone can jump from people to people through eye contact. And through the abyss I can make my way back to the original or to the original target, my clone I mean. Fuck my powers.

Then I noticed all the other windows. They were so faraway that I needed to telescope in order to view the windows. It was pretty simple. I just held it as I cloned myself on someone's mind. What I found was scary as hell.

It was the Simurgh. I heard that this endbringer looked like an angel and used sounds to drive people insane and her schtick was that despite all the damage she does, she targets individuals that cause massive damage. Like Sphere who became Mannequin. Yeah if she comes here I'm running. If I had to guess, she uses the sounds the same way I use direct eye contact to make mental clones. The song just programs her consciousness into someone as they hear, like hypnotism. And then she does what I do. She whispers. People can ignore a whisper but as I've proven today, that if you can find the right moment, the right words, you can persuade or nudge someone the direction you want. My clones can stay out too much because it hurts my brain with all the information they gather. The Simurgh doesn't seem to require the information to return, or at least she needs to collect them "manually." All the Simurphs seemed confined to the worlds they inhabit. Hence the jealousy. Sigh, the fucking Simurghs is jealous of me, that cannot end well.

Sometimes I wish I had more direct powers, like controlling bugs or something. At least then I might be able to make money off spider silk, honey, or even breed crabs or something. Speaking of powers, the way both Dean and Chris affected their view of the world was kind of cool. Dean's colored people's emotion, Chris' highlighted things as his inspiration demanded. It was kind of cool, Sophia's power didn't do anything perception wise.

[Replicate? One slot available. Two options]

what the hell? This was new. What even is this?

[Expansion through replication]

Expansion? Expansion of my powers? How?

[Expansion through replication]

okay no help there. Let's try this.

 **[(Elaborate)]**

[Recent Data Compilation Complete]

[Expansion due compiled data available]

[WARNING!]

[Current Facility for Neural Faculty cannot support all expansion packages]

Facilities for neural faculty…did it mean my brain?

[compile data gathered allows for replication of foreign neural faculty behaviors]

[two options available]

[Replicate? One slot available. Two options]

Okay…does that mean I can expand my powers if I chose one of these two options? Wait…the only time the world I was in changed was when I was in Chris and Dean, when their powers highlighted things. So does that mean I can get either Dean's power or Chris' power? To what degree though…maybe….

 **[(expansion detail. Complete replication?)]**

[replicate observed behavior, total replication currently unviable.]

okay that didn't really help much. Let's try...

 **[(expansion permanent?)]**

[Negative]

[expansion package interchangeable]

[WARNING!]

[changing packages requires 32 hours of reconfiguring Neural Faculty]

[Propagation will be unavailable at this time]

[Neural faculties will operate at 71.556% normal capacity]

Okay so it's not permanent and I can change at any time, but doing so requires 32 hours to change powers in which time I will not be able to use power and I'll be opening at about 71% normal brain function. So changing packages is something I have to really think about first before I actually do it.

 **[(initial expansion package configuration time?)]**

[3 minutes 13 seconds]

 **[(sample possible?)]**

[Two sample options available]

 **[(sample option 1)]**

[acknowledged]

I felt something click but nothing different happened. Then again, I was just staring at the screen. I turned to look at my dad and I saw it. I saw it. Colors. Sadly, the colors weren't as thick as the ones Dean perceived, it was only a light mist of colors; so I only a gain a portion of his power. I had some practice studying the colors Dean saw and the way he acted around different colors. Dad was worried, concerned, fearful even, probably his job, but at the moment he was content, happy.

Not only would I be able to use it on a regular basis but I got the feeling my clones could use it. On top of my clones be able to sense people's emotion, sensations, and even inspirations, my clones would be able to see the emotions of others. If I get good manipulation my clones could manipulate people better around other people.

[Sample end]

 **[(label sample as "emotion-color perception")]**

[acknowledged]

 **[(Sample option 2)]**

[acknowledged]

This time the changes were more pronounced, I saw things highlighted and I felt…inspiration. I got this huge urge to take apart the TV and collected everything highlighted. Earlier dad brought home a box of electronic goodies the parents of a subordinate gave to dad. The guy committed murder suicide because someone made fun of his favorite cape…people are weird; the parents knew dad had me and that their son talked fondly of him, so they figured I could do something with it. Well I did really appreciate the new laptop, and the password was easy to figure (the favorite capes name) and right now I wanted to do nothing more than dig into that box. I wonder would I get Chris' specialty?

[negative]

Huh…I see. so then do I get my own specialty? ...no reply.

 **[(how does this expansion work?)]**

[expansion takes observed neural faculty behavior, and configures behavior to **(user)** faculty]

I think that means the inspiration I get are different from Chris' which means…yeah I think I get my own specialty.

[Sample end]

 **[(label sample as "tinker-inspiration highlighter")]**

[acknowledged]

cool so certain people grant me certain expansions. I wonder…

 **[(can expansions of similar behaviors compile?)]**

[affirmative]

Cool. So I if I have more clones go to tinkers, thinkers, or capes who use brain power rather than actual power in general I can get a portion of their power and the powers stack up if they are similar. Okay with this I can probably do something as a cape instead of just one-stepping my enemies. Now what to choose.

Deans power would definitely be more practical for everyday situations but I get the feeling that I would see things I wouldn't normally like…but with Chris' inspiration I could make my own technology…my own specialty.

 **[(select tinker-inspiration highlighter expansion package)]**

[acknowledged]

[reconfiguring faculties now]

"I think I'll hit the hay now kiddo," Dad said as he got up. It took a while for me to, I honestly felt numb.

"Okay," I managed.

"Don't stay up too late."

"'kay," he kissed my forehead and left.

That was a long three minutes.

After I chose tinker powers I got a huge sense of inspiration. I quickly took the box and went down stairs to the basement with my new laptop. I went through the box that had old wires, old consoles, messed up phones, broken headphones, even a small square teal iPod Nano and a Gameboy advance, the square one. But what I found that really set me off was a peregrine glove and an OCZ NIA (Neural Impulse Actuator), a head band. I quickly went to work. I didn't have any of Chris' tools but I found that it didn't stop me. I got by rather well with what I had on hand and some stuff I MacGyvered together. Wow, I didn't think I'd get so far with a paper clip! The highlight helped a lot and working with it in mind. It wasn't as clear as Chris' but I got feeling that Chris couldn't really see the highlights. It must have felt like intuition to him.

By the time I was done modifying the glove and headband I got to typing code on my computer, mostly it was just altering the programs for the glove and the headband and somehow getting the separate programs to talk to each other. After I was done I went back into the box and found an old Nintendo Power Glove. I got to work and removed the power glove logo and replaced with the Gameboy screen, replaced the memory thing for the peregrine glove with the iPod Nano. Hacked the power glove added code, which took a while, and got it to work with the other two programs. After a while I realized wire were inconvenient so I took apart the phones and took some items my inspiration highlighted and I was able to make my Neural Impulse Actuator and both gloves wireless.

By the time I was done the sun had come up, my eyes were red, and was grinning ear to ear. The NIA on my forehead and both gloves on. My left hand wore the peregrine gloves, the screen was my radar. My right hand wore the power glove, where the "keyboard" could be used to give command. The NIA scanned my brainwaves and was sensitive to how I move the muscles on my head. It was cool.

My specialty…well.

With my left hand, I found a lot of them I pressed my thumb against my index fingers and got them all to converge at my feet. BUGS.

My specialty, apparently, was being able to control bugs…I know what I said earlier but, hear me out, counter argument… **KID WIN HAS A FUCKING HOVER BOARD!** Alexandria was my Hero growing up, I want to fly goddamn it!

I rolled my eyes and huffed. I spent all night creating a device that controls bugs, my power glove I programed a command which I used my jaw muscles for and had the bugs gathered thus far to eat each other. That done I walked upstairs and went upstairs. I figured I might as well get it over with. I my house wifi, dad uses my mom's old desktop for his job, it was slow wifi but it did the job. I logged onto the PHO website. I made a dummy account and at the same time used my tinker inspiration to help mask my IP address. I went to the ward thread and started one there.

* * *

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 **Topic: Kid Win Specialty.  
In: Boards ****Brocton Bay** **Wards ENE** **The Index**

 **Earworm** (Original Poster) (Temporary Account):

Hey I had some time and I figured I'd get this out of the way. Also, I felt like I owed Kid Win anyway. A little bit about me. I'm a new cape in the bay, not sure where I fit in the power rankings. I was experimenting with my powers and I found a few cool things. Any-who, on to the actual topic at hand. Kid Win's specialty is something around the lines of Customization and Personalization. He modeled himself after Hero, the first tinker that people actually respect and so his power adjusted to fit this image. He'd have an easier time creating a hover horse or a hover craft that looks like a horse instead of a jet pack for Gallant. As for Kid Win himself. Just get selfish, try to make things that suit you, not Hero. Whelp, hopes he takes this seriously. I mean I hope I didn't nudge the multi-tool for nothing.

* * *

With that done I did a bit of research on the Undersiders and decided that Tattle Tale is a good target as any. No one really knows what she can do but if she has a name like Tattle Tale then her power must be compatible. But first I have to figure out what to do with all these bugs. I mean i can't really do anything at the moment, but I'm sure after a good night sleep, some research and some tinkering i can find something. Hey, when life gives you a specialty to control bugs, might as well give it a blast and see how much you can control them and see if you can breed the scariest critter the world has seen. I wonder what my tinker identity would be…Skitter maybe? I wonder, would Chris date a fellow tinker if the opportunity presented itself?

* * *

 **Author's notes**

yeah for some of these the idea came as i wrote along. i hope you guys enjoyed it. Also, for those of you who read worm, C'mon whats more believable? That the PRT and Protectorate ignore something as severe as shoving a girl into a locker full of used Tampons (even though it didn't happen in this oneshot) or that Coil is paying the teachers off so that he can have some fabricated dirt on the PRT to make taking it over easier and who knows maybe even recruit Sophia too. I mean we all know Coil can be very persuasive.

Yes i know the glove and NIA are pushing the release date and the wearable swiss army knife is from 2015 but its still cool. Also I mean the old MacGyver, i haven't sen the new one.

Also thanks goes to conceptualist for creating the PHO interlude Generator. That is cool bro!

NIGHT FOLKS!

REVIEW!


	2. Join the fun

Everyone likes this for some reason so I continued it, not promising anything, just writing as inspired. I already told someone this so I'll make it clear. FEEL FREE TAKE ANY IDEA YOU WANT AND WRITE YOUR OWN STORY! I mostly post oneshots to get others to write. I'll be honest I had to cut this chapter short because I felt it was getting too long for no reason. So I just took a large portion and copy and pasted this onto another word document. I've been told that my explanations are a little dry so I tried to remedy that here, again let me know in the comments what you think or if you have tips, please note that I'll take a middle finger happily if its funny. Whelp enjoy's folks, I'll post the other chap sometime next week, hopefully. READ ENJOY AND REVIEW!

I don't own Worm, its all fanfic, go nuts.

* * *

Okay…what would anyone do in this situation?

I wasn't exactly stuck per say, but it was very uncomfortable and a bit horrifying. How about I explain a bit first, this was after the PHO post.

* * *

For the next few days I continued to test my powers, both my original and newfound ones. I found I can make clone on myself, just had to look at a mirror to see my own eyes. And it was cool. I basically had an assistant only I can see, it was mostly an extra set of eyes and ears, help me reach conclusions better, and she could help move my body and my body reacted as if was me giving the command if I let it. It's still a bit confusing keeping track of the individuality among myself and the clones; the clones, myself included in this, we feel like we are the original, we have her plans, her ideas and we can debate what to do just how the original would, but we know we are clones. And yet when she gets our memory she-I, I view it as my own. My experience becomes hers and we became one. Nothing is ever lost, only gained. They say there's no I in team but the team here is all I's that make a sturdier I, its annoying I guess. But that wasn't the point at the moment.

I couldn't exactly keep the secret of being able to control bugs, spiders, and other crawlies with "my" tinker powers away from dad. He found the suit we were making.

On hindsight, keeping an army of black widow spiders in the basement was not the best move, doubly so for the supply of critters and whatnots that got caught on my "network" to come in to feed my weavers. I mean…what I liked about my powers is that with a laptop I can sort of "program" behaviors and instructions into a critter, be it individually or just a certain type of critter like a Black Widow or Brown Recluse, but I should make better plans.

He nearly had a heart attack when he followed a few bugs to basement and found my spiders hard at work!

Admittedly my original idea to create a "bigger meaner critter" was very slow and way too much guess work. I mean I can't exactly play around with genetics and or innate behaviors that are not obvious to get the best result because I have no way of knowing that.

I can only program behaviors, control, and differentiate them by _species_ or _individual on screen_ , for hidden behaviors or individual genetics, it would require lots and I mean lots of observation and giving them their unedited freewill back in order to properly observe and compare them. While that was in the process I resorted to just making use of the special traits of the critters around me. I saw a documentary with dad about artificial spider silk being used to create bullet proof vest, so I walked around late a night and gathered black widows put them to work; I programed a behavior where the spiders would work together and coordinate to create an intricate weave I found leaked online.

The process was simple, the initial spiders would stick or loop their web on pin on a frame around my size and then make a single continuous thread that other spiders would weave around, resting only when they needed it, and had food lifted down to them via other spider with weaker silk, (didn't want them to dirty my costume), I had a few spiders mating out of season and laying eggs, and when those spiders hatch and become of a decent size I'd have them join in on the construction to help reinforce the costume.

Thankfully I didn't need to supervise them constantly. All I needed was for them to be near one of my "control towers" and that was it, they were stripped of whatever will they had and followed the program on my computer while I was left to do whatever I wanted to do. Which is to try and figure out different ways to use bugs.

Man, maybe I did get a bit of Kid Win's inspiration, whatever that [voice] was, it said that the behavior he displayed were mimicked and reconfigured to work with my mind. It was possible that whatever his inspirations are, it was modified to fit mine, I mean I can't exactly multi-task to the point of being able to control every single critter individually at once but I can program behaviors for them to follow while they are in my control, so if I input the right direction, the right set of order, the right behaviors from the get go then I don't have to struggle too much or move around a lot. It suited a bookworm like me.

Sadly, I didn't realize that I didn't give my spider-feed discreet directions to the basement, only that they had to get there. And that's how dad found an army of spiders in the basement. Thank GAWD I got home before he got over his panic attack and called an exterminator! It took a while to explain to dad that "no we weren't under attack, the spiders wont wrap up you into a cocoon and eat you in your sleep like the movie," and why I triggered. He was not happy on multiple accounts. I told him that Emma was my problem, that'll handle it. He wasn't happy but he relented. Next was what to do with my powers.

Controlling the creepy crawlies wasn't exactly something that was in high demand. I mean I could become a sponsor hero and get sponsored by an arms manufacturing company or something, I mean being able to use spider silk to produce strong cheap body armor would get a lot of contracts. Dad quickly shot it down, the closest one, according to the internet was a few states away…that was the main issue anyway.

There isn't any other company that can afford to sponsor me in Brockton Bay, they're either too small and vulnerable, or secretly part of E88 or ABB. I thought about the people who own the land for the farmers market (I can provide technically natural/organic honey) but it had the same problem. And I can't just produce control towers for farmers or people to keep indoors because at the moment they were made on a shoe-string budget and were sensitive and do require maintenance, but more importantly I don't want to imagine what would happen if someone got an inspiration to build something to control humans with my creations (shudder), just the thought of someone like Bonesaw being interested in my work is enough to scare the bejesus out of me.

I can't be sponsored by Dockworkers Association, I mean I can control crabs, oddly enough, but there really isn't anything I could do to justify sponsoring me. I might be able to make strong nets and lines, maybe even strong rope, but that's about it and it would take away work from the local shops who make them; and if Kaiser, Purity, Lung, or Oni Lee even attacked I wouldn't be able to do much against them, let's not even talk about Squealer, the other tinker who runs around inside a safe metal can. So that was out unless I didn't care about the people in the docks.

I could make my own squad or go solo, maybe walk around everywhere in the sewers or try to stay in one location and control my bugs with tons of relays and towers…unless someone destroys them…and dad doesn't want me on my own. Forming a team wouldn't exactly be cheap, maybe if it was volunteer, but where am I going to find a cape who would take a volunteer role with no chance of being paid? That was out.

So really my only option that dad would allow me to do was to, wait for it, **"forget the whole thing like it never happened."** Maybe use my bugs to guard the house.

I quickly argued.

I wanted to do more, I wanted to help, I wanted to be a hero!

He didn't want to hear it…but it's not like I don't understand; he doesn't want me to fight, to get hurt or worse, end up dead.

"I don't want to lose you too," he said. We calmed down a bit, mom…it was still fresh wound in our opinion.

It took a bit of explaining but I made it clear to dad that I was not, by any means, a frontline fighter. I worked better being holed up somewhere with a laptop controlling the bugs instead of doing it out in the open with gloves and a headband. At worst, I'll be on the field but helping from the back. Dad was still adamant about it, but he eventually caved (no I didn't clone myself on him, I'd never do that to him). So, I had one choice left, just one…. The Wards.

I told him I would join after my costume was done. I figured he would give me time to think about how to use my powers on my own, maybe come to my senses and realize I was way over my head; maybe to let me figure things out on my own…thankfully I was wrong.

He was initially jumpy around the bugs, but after I assured him that even if the control towers I built were destroyed it wouldn't matter; first of all, my laptop transmits the same signal, not that understand what it is, only it has a shorter range so we should be fine, second of all, black widows are territorial so they would end up killing each other first before they attack us (I already tested it by turning the doohickey on and off-err-inverse that), he was not reassured. After he got over the fear, or managed to stave it off enough, he started giving me input. My dad was the spokesman for the Dockworkers Association and the head of hiring, and he showed me what his job entitles and that he knew how to apply it.

"My job doubles as HR management, lack of money to hire means more responsibility," Dad told me whilst being weary of the spiders and whatnots, "part of that is making sure whoever I hire is correctly trained and equipped properly. You know, work boots, gloves, knee pads sometimes, even hearing protection in addition to suitable eyewear; all this along with the casual check-up to see how they're doing," he explained.

I showed him my design, how it was going, what I have planned, what I wanted, how it was inspired by that documentary we watched and he was impressed. "Brilliant," he said, I couldn't help but smile, "but not good enough," he finished. "I can tell you from experience, it's not tear-proof, nothing ever is, it's just resistant. Eventually it will tear." I countered that I could always fix it, reinforce the weave and that silk can be warm in the cold and cool in the heat, that's because silk can absorb 30% its weight in moisture and not feel damp.

"But if you get in a fight how will you defend yourself? You'd use your arm's, right? That'll will eventually wear fast. And are you sure using bug carapace is the way to go, if silk collects moisture wouldn't carapace be the perfect rotting material for bacteria to grow? How would you even clean this?" He pointed out flaws and ways to improve the design. He wasn't an expert by any means but dad has been around long enough to know a bit about adding protection in a pinch. Long story short, dad had some experience dealing with force thanks to all the gangs in the Bay, Marquis mostly (before New Wave took him down).

My guess as to dad's thoughts? It's probably along the lines of "if my daughter is intent on fighting then I'll make damn well sure she's well protected."

My original design was to make a body suit that went from my ankles, to the tips of my fingers, and finally ending at my neck. He pointed out that yes it would make her look a bit more feminine, but it might be construed as something sexual and being the doting father he was, the design was out. Also, I had to wear gloves to control bug in the fields so that might have been too uncomfortable, but the sexual part was the main argument. Good thing the spiders hadn't made too much progress, yes having an army of spider is good but actually having them weave something is going to take time.

He also brought up another good point, laundry and bathroom. I'd have to wash it by hand and if it was reinforced with carapace then the carapace might be affected by a homemade solution or something. Also, if it was a body suit and if I had to use bathroom when I was out on patrol or even just chilling around at home or at the PRT building, I'd have to take pretty much most of it off and be half naked.

In the end, I redesigned it to be a long sleeve shirt with turtle neck, and it was long (while still being tight) enough to be comfortably tucked in to the silk pants and a silk belt that could double as a utility belt. Dad said that a bullet might not penetrate her silk but that doesn't mean it will stop the momentum or the force.

"Not penetrating is alright, but a bullet is still going to hurt. Remember that military documentary we saw, they had bullet resistant plates that they inserted into their vest." While we couldn't buy the bullet resistant plate or cut up thick pieces of ship in our spare time (dad did not want me there alone), what we can do is make some fiberglass.

Of course, it would take days for it to cure and about 30 bucks worth of material, not to mention the labor, but a few days is nothing compared to how long my silk costume would take. Thankfully I have other critters to do the bulk of the work besides spiders.

Sure, I could use a good portion of black widows to make a silk sheets that were already bullet resistant and use fiberglass resin on that, but dad was still freaked out by the spiders, in order to ease his fears a bit he gave me a hard limit of spiders; of course I still had a few spiders laying eggs to try to keep my original project going but I still couldn't divert the spiders unless I wanted my suit to take longer.

Instead dad just used a welding blanket that a store he was familiar with sold to him at a discounted rate. My critters could do the work and the only part that needed human power was to clamp the fiberglass in between two plates to give it shape as it cures and to tighten it. I used wooden boards with a curve to fit my chest and another set for my back to press the fiberglass into shape (along with a layer of tape for them not to stick to the resin), I made them using termites and bugs with strong mendable.

(for those of you curious look up on youtube "How to Make AMAZING Bullet Resistant Armor for $30")

For my forearms, which I would obviously use to protect myself if someone got too close, I could use silks to make lightweight bracers, I guess they'd look more like arm warmers, and I could always use carapace and leftover bits of fiberglass to reinforce it. That meant I had to redesign my gloves to be under my wrist, it still worked though, only my arms would feel a little heavier.

After that I can just use kneepads and elbow pads to for the joints, no point to overcomplicate my life, right? For the pants, I just had to make it thicker.

Last but not least, my head. I told dad about my ideas to use a balaclava or a mask and use my tinted swimming goggle lens for the eyes with my old lenses glued in place or something. For my neck, I'd use a silk scarf or something to help protect it. In response dad walked over to an old plastic container, begged me to moves the bugs, and took out an old ski mask he has for when it gets really cold and had me put it on. I'll admit, even with the holes it was still a bit hard to see as it tightened on my face and breathing was awkward, it got the hole all wet and sloppy, yuck! Point taken.

"Try this," my dad never really talked about it much, but he was a fan of paintball. He gave me an old gray mask with gold tinted lenses and it came with a neck guard. "The scarf might be a good idea, but you don't want to give someone the option to choke you in a fight with it." Right, I honestly didn't think of that.

I'll admit, this was probably a better idea. I had more field of vision, my glasses actually fit, the tinted lenses protected my identity but it also prevented me from using my real powers (not that he knows about my real power), and it was already made. It wasn't full coverage, it left the back and the sides exposed, but dad said we could just buy a cheap helmet and reinforce it with fiberglass somehow.

"Honestly a biker helmet would be better," he said. Sadly the good ones cost two hundred dollars. Well we only needed proof of working concept for the PRT and I'm sure they could provide a helmet and better body protection.

Though that did stir my inspiration a bit.

I ended up sketching a helmet with cameras on it like spider eyes, and a few cameras I can attach on my body. Each camera wouldn't be the same, some would be able to zoom, other would be able to see body heat, a few would allow me to see at night, and all the camera would be filtered through a program to create a wide view on a screen inside my helmet that could be removed if need be. I'd be able to see and depending on how I make the controls, if possible at all, I could be able to see things from different angles, behind me, and I might even be able to see my bugs highlighted through walls. I could hear dad taking deep a breath. Yeah, I know that was not going to be cheap but it's not like I had to build it right away.

"Relax dad," I told him, "I'm pretty sure the PRT would foot the bill for this."

"I know that, I'm just worried…your eyes," he answered.

"Oh," yeah, I didn't think of that, staring at a screen in darkness was not a good thing for the eyes.

"Well, maybe a holographic projector then," I asked, he shrugged.

Next would be how I attacked people. Honestly, I told him I would just use bugs to bite and sting, whilst withholding their venom, and buzz around their eyes and ears, maybe see if I can borrow a pistol from Kid Win or order up a riffle that shoots darts or something. I saw his eyes light up. He went to a corner and pulled out two old paintball guns.

"I tried to get your mother into it, but the first time she participated she just wore a visor and she ended up with a dent in her skull," he said with a light chuckle. "After that she never…Helmets are good, right?" He quickly changed the topic. I gave him a light smile.

"Yeah." We both miss her.

And like that a month and a half passed, two months total on my costume. I had finished dyeing it and I made sure the fiberglass plates fit me well.

I didn't have to do much but that doesn't mean I was idle. I would do morning runs before school and then in the evening. Dad made a small punching bag for me in the basement, he wasn't a fighter but he had gotten into a few scuffles in the past so he gave me a few, very basic, pointers. He fully expects me to ask to see if the PRT troopers can give me proper training or real tips.

Besides some power walking in the morning, I worked on creating instructions and behaviors for bugs that enter my range and trying to come up with a strategy to use them. Controlling bugs with five fingers, a few "rare" facial expression isn't exactly easy, especially when you have a projectile weapon. I needed a way to detect humans and mark them as enemies without having bugs on them to avoid friendly fire. My "network" only detects and controls bugs, spiders, worm, snails, crabs, ect. but not humans, rats, dogs or even plants. This meant I've had to get creative with what I could do with my specialty. Originally, I would just use my bugs to swarm every surface and use their location to map it out, but that would give it away and scare everyone, and controlling bugs individually to get on their person without them knowing would be too time consuming. I had to come up with something new.

My inspiration gave me ideas and highlights to help carry it out, but that doesn't really guaranty anything. I'm not exactly sure how it is for Chris/ Kid Win but my guess is that he doesn't see the highlights, or at least he doesn't consciously see it, and he instead acts on what he perceives as intuition. For me the highlights are just highlights, no instructions on what they build or what ideas they lead to, hell I don't even know if the highlights are connected to single design or multiple designs. It's like Kid Win has auto with AI-assist while I got manual without an actual manual to guide me. My best bet is to think of an idea on paper and see if highlights appear. Even then, it doesn't guaranty results, just that something is made, like art almost.

The first idea I got a highlight for was to, again, change the way I control my tiny minions. Originally, I could give them commands, basic step by step command that quickly became annoying, even if I did it from a laptop; I couldn't even get them to attack a target unless I told them how and where exactly to do it. It was like making very simple code every time I needed to do something! Sure, like code I could save it and have it apply to certain conditions, but it still didn't get good results, then the idea came. Why not just alter their behavior?

It meant I had to give back the will I took away but the trade-off is that they can do things on their own (instinctively I think) while acting within the parameters I set. For example, black widows are territorial and would take a very rare situation for them to cooperate (like an extremely overabundance of food), but if I modified the behavior to where they do co-operate and when I give them a special pattern to weave, they are somehow able to coordinate without my help to do it.

The idea I got this time was to collect few suitable bugs and slice them open and install a small but very small machine to control it. I mean I could get a very tiny camera (if I could even make it) on a bug to get a visual. Sadly, I wasn't good with miniaturizing nor did I have money to buy the things I would need, especially for a ton of trial and error.

Another idea that was more promising was to expand on the signal I received. I still don't understand how I control the critters. All I know is that my tech lets out a signal somehow, not sound or radio waves I don't think, and that signal captures critters and the captured critters pops on display and shows what commands and behaviors it was currently following.

The inspiration led me to expand on the select critter's current condition: was it hungry, missing a leg, having a bad reaction to something, was it in water, touching a glass-like wall or a plant, ect., I could learn it all. In addition, it helps a bit with my "make a meaner critter" project. I can know exactly how much silk a critter produces or how strong it jaws are, or how much venom they secrete, I'm still having trouble distinguish innate behaviors but whatever.

I thought it was dead end though. I can see that they can hear and see things but not what they are actually seeing or hearing. I thought about giving them certain behaviors to follow if they see certain colors and what not and then have a special code that would take viewed behaviors and try to piece an image, would not work at all for all the effort it would require.

But another idea hit me, some critters were sensitive to change in air pleasure, others were sensitive to light, some even smells, and a good portion of the ones I control are sensitive to vibration. So instead of focusing so much on what their eyes and, if possible (some bugs are actually deaf) can hear, how about getting bugs to react or even copy what they feel. With bugs that can hear and sense vibrations with their hair, it was obvious, I'd have a program to record and interpret those vibrations. It ended up as crude echo location, get enough critters in room and I'll be able to get basic shapes and outline, add in sensitivity to light with their skin and antenna and changes in air pressure, and I'll have enough information to work with. It was a crude black and white 3D rendering that worked profoundly better in enclosed rooms, but it was cool and it worked for the most part.

In addition, if the vibration is cleaned up a bit, I can actually hear sounds, still working on this and progress was slow…what? I'm not an acoustic tinker! Sucks I can't see things without tiny cameras, but at least it was in the right direction.

As for how I actually attack, dad told me that biting and stinging without venom is fine, so long as it's not the eyes, in the nose, inside the ears and mouth. The habits I instilled for critters with teeth or mandibles or stingers is to follow certain patterns around an object, preferably one I have labeled beforehand and they already knew to find ways around their clothes. The divided objects were labeled as "face," "torso," "right arm" "left arm" "right leg" "left leg," and last but not least I have "groin" (obviously two different versions).Dad grimaced and advised me against having the swarm attack that region unless it was absolutely necessary.

The reason for the pattern is that I found that, yes, the swarm of whatever critter I had in the vicinity would converge on the objects but sometimes they would be clustered too close or right on top of each other and make themselves an easier target, even if they were underneath the clothes. To avoid this and provide a lot of harassment, I would have them moving around a designed pattern, biting and stinging, that way even if a few are killed they can still attack a large area. This was an **[attack pattern].**

It might not work too well against a Case 53, a cape who got the wrong end of the shifter and or breaker power set, but I could always adjust.

Obviously, I would try to see if I could avoid getting in close if I can help it, and the swarm isn't exactly reliable for non-lethal take downs. I didn't really have time between improving my grades, working on my tech and house chores, nor did we have the cash. So that left me with projectiles training. I don't know what I'll actually get trained to work with but for now I was using paintballs.

I thought about using airsoft pellets or bb guns, they are lighter, easier to load and look more intimidating, and fairly affordable.

"True," dad said, "but paintball might be more of an image the PRT would prefer and paint can be rather uncomfortable if you are not wearing protection," he argued. Besides that, going around with an airsoft gun that looks realistic might not be the best thing. Brockton bay didn't really have a paintball park or a course, not anymore anyway, but there was a guy a few miles away from the Brockton Bay, right by a mountain, who rents out his property for people to shoot each other with. Dad was able to find a group that carpools out to the property on the weekends. I already had the equipment so I just needed to buy paint balls. So every weekend I would head out with a small group of people and we'd have a fight for an hour or so. Even though it was his idea, dad still didn't like the fact I was miles away with a group of strangers; so despite our dislikes for mobile phones we decided it was time to move on…at least for my sake.

Dads used his old Motorola flip phone, I fixed one of the old cellphones I found in the box of goodies, it was an old HTC Universal phone, it was basically a pocket computer! I can see why the guy didn't get rid of it. Hell, it was touch screen and everything, it played both music and videos, built in camera, keypad and screen that twist and turn and shut on top of the key pad, you could even draw on it with a stylus and use a word document (now with the added feature to control bugs)! Dad took the phone and had set it up with pre-paid minutes. Now my Saturdays were fun and I wasn't an idiot, I knew why dad had me do this and training was not the idea.

I was being shot at with paintballs, and I honestly couldn't avoid getting hit…people really love headshots. Now imagine if it was bullets…. The paintball hurt enough as it is even with protection so I can't imagine how much a bullet would hurt. I won't lie, it was working. I was a little nervous and I don't think people would hesitate to fire on armored opponent, double so for a person controlling bugs. Still, I braved through and I found that I was good at aiming. Then again it was just paint balls.

Now that just about everything was done, it was time.

* * *

"You sure," I heard Dad's concerned voice over the phone.

"I'm sure," I said eyeing my finished costume.

"Alright then, knock 'em dead," he cheered. "let me know how it goes."

"I will," I said with a small smile as I hung up, and I began to put on my costume.

Initially I wanted all black or dark colors, but dad told me Alexandria was well known and could get away with it. Instead he suggested I add gold dye or paint to make it seem a bit more heroic, or at least not come off as completely villainous.

My finish design had golden silk, that I had to dye beforehand, outlining my silk shirt (that was thickened around torso) and bordered where my chest plate would go and the edges of my shirt and pants. I had a belt that could double as a utility belt, maybe I could carry flashbangs, extra control towers, or something. In addition to the knee pads and elbow pads, I added shin guards (light weight ones that that I that I can slide in, like the plates, into my pants and Velcro seal), I spray painted them all and added gold outlines, I also added pair of shoulder strap on pads I received from Annabelle for cheap.

Annabelle was a pretty cool girl I met playing paintball. Her mother was thinking of getting rid of her old equipment and when I mentioned I was looking for stuff for extra protection, she pounced on the opportunity and sold me a used pair for cheap (anything to buy a few more hundred paintballs, right?). It was just a circular Velcro Pad that was meant to be strapped around the armpits. I didn't want it to chafe my silk and I was going to wash the suit by hand anyway, if it wasn't replaced, so I removed the straps and stitched the pads on and added golden outlines. My pants were thick and lacked pockets, hence why I had a utility belt. For shoes, dad just got me a cheap pair of safety steel-toed boots from a thrift store; I spray painted it black and hand stitched thick golden silk strings on the outlines.

My bracers were just incorporated into my gloves, the bracers are basically thick arm warmers that have a layer of fiberglassed silk. Not as strong as the fiberglass plates but it'll do the job and I can always cut if off and replace it. The gloves had the buttons and screens underneath the wrists but you could still tell what they used to be.

And finally, my paintball mask and the neck guard. Dad gave me the one he meant for mom and let me use his on Saturdays. I know mom never used it but I was happy knowing it belonged to her. I didn't really do much to it, dad helped me spray paint it black, and I gave it gold but thin outlines but mostly I just let the gold visor do the showing. I had the headband inside, but I honestly didn't have much use for it. I mostly just had it programed to see if I was conscious or in danger, if so it would make the swarm attack anything around me, unless they were marked as safe already, so far only dad had that right. The neck guard was just black.

It took less than ten minutes to put everything in place. I couldn't help but feel proud in my costume. I made an actual hero costume and with dad's help it was a bit more practical!

I grabbed my wallet (purses were easy to steal) and put it into my utility belt. The mask was a little hot around my eyes, since it was sealed in thanks to the foam but it was alright. I grabbed my backpack, put in my laptop and batteries, a change of clothes, a box with two control towers, my sketch book for tinker ideas, two pods that hold a hundred rounds each, and my paint ball gun I would just carry (you never know, they might ask me to shoot, at worst I'll be told to relinquish it). I went to gather a few snacks and then make, well, **me**.

* * *

After a quick bus ride, filled with looks and pictures, we were in front of the PRT building. Honestly, if it wasn't for the PRT logo it wouldn't look any different from any other building. It was a tall metal and glass windows. There was a large parking lot that had busses and cars parked, there was a building that was connected to the PRT building, the area for their vehicles. From the helicopter on the roof it was safe to say there was a helipad. It was good to note that the building wasn't faraway from Arcadia. I was about as nervous as Taylor was but my job was…well to wait and see what I can do, I guess help not feel alone.

"Now or I never," I told Taylor. She nodded.

"Now or never," she agreed. And began to move forward.

"Do you think we should have used Dean's power?"

"No, that would be suspicious if I reacted the same way he did around people. I might be unable to see his color and I have feeling that would work both ways. Either way he'd know something was up."

"Point," I relented as I floated next to her as a plastic bag followed me.

"You know what to do."

"As always," I said. As soon as we were at the door I let the glass wall pass me. She walked in. She walked up to the front desk. As she did so she looked around at a few groups of PRT troopers standing around with flamethrower like containment foam dispensers in their hands, being vigilant. They casted a glance at me but that was more or less it. She looked at the gift shop and saw a few of the merchandise. I think we both wondered if our bugs or figure would eventually be sold there. It was just a simple thought. We made it to the front desk undisturbed. Weird.

The front desk held two women behind the counter in a neat and tidy white shirt and navy-blue jackets or suit with the PRT logo in gold, a contrast to the dark, unisex uniforms of the PRT troopers that hid their identities and gender.

Before Taylor could say anything the lady in front of her pointed to her left, our right and said.

"Over there." I turned to look as a group of people, some of them in costume. Huh I guess I wasn't the only one.

"Thanks," Taylor said with a nod but the lady didn't react. She moved to the group and underwent a security check.

"This way sir," a PRT trooper near a door motioned me. The group looked at us, some looked amazed, the other costumed capes looked a bit peeved, I guess they've been waiting…well we did have gun I guess so I was jumped up. Or maybe I delayed something? who knows.

"Okay," Taylor said loudly as she walked forward making the PRT trooper flinch a bit. Yeah…I looked more boyish in my costume despite the hair. We walked into a curtained area. He closed the curtain and walked behind a desk with a paper and a camera attached to a laptop.

"Okay, _Miss,_ " he pushed a paper in front of him with pen.

"I'll need your full name and signature, phone number and email as applicable."

"Oh," Taylor let out. Yeah, I agree that was weird. "Is that safe?" She asked. Yeah, wasn't unmasking a bad thing?

"We're the PRT miss, we take identities very seriously," he assured me, "this is for our eyes only and no one else."

Well we were trying to audition I guess and they are the PRT. Seeing nothing wrong with it she quickly wrote her full name, number, email, and signed it.

"Mask off and look at the camera," he instructed. She was hesitant, obviously, but we had to do it. She took the mask off and looked at the camera. "Alright. Your bag," he held his hand out, Taylor handed over the backpack. He quickly went over it. His paused a bit when he opened the box, probably curious as to what I built. He put it back and put everything back into the backpack.

"Any weapons we should know about?"

"Just the paintball gun, oh and my utility belt has my phone, my wallet, pepper spray and an EpiPen."

"Let see the spray and Epi," he said as he sighed and held his hand out. I pulled the items out of the pockets and handed to him. He briefly inspected them and nodded, and handed them back. "They stay secured unless it's absolutely necessary, understand?"

"Yes sir," Taylor said, little nervous as she held her mask. He just stared at me and nodded.

"anything else?"

"Oh tinkertech," Taylor should him our gloves with the iPod and Nintendo screens underneath my wrist. "and this," She grabbed a modified digital camera. "It slides in place in front of my visor," she demonstrated. She put on her mask, made sure it was secured, slid the camera in to her left eye, which did effect the way I saw the world and snapped the claps on both the camera and the mask to secure it in place. The idea was that I could see my bug's position and even the 3D rendering in case it was too dark or to see through walls, the camera recorded what was in front of it and with data from all tech, the video rendered would show the position of the ants and crudely mapped environment behind the wall of whatever the camera was pointed at. I copied this software on my phone since that too had a camera. Though she didn't get to explain that.

"Impressive," he said, simply admiring the DIY bit.

"Thanks," Taylor beamed.

"It stays off though, you are in no way allowed to record or photograph anything."

"Ah, right of course," that was fair.

"Alright," he nodded, "We do have a proving ground of sorts, you may shoot if you ask but next time, please don't assume and ask beforehand."

"Ah, right, sorry," she quickly apologized. He just nodded.

"Just so we're on the same page," he began casually, "if you load that paintball gun without permission you will be arrested, fined, and persecuted to the fullest extent of the law," he threatened, "so help me god, if you fire it, you get persecuted to the fullest extent of PRT's law! Understood."

Taylor just nodded.

"I said, is that understood," he said louder.

"Y-yes," Taylor said.

"Gooood," he said with a level of satisfaction, "now go join the others," he said with a nod in the direction. Taylor did so.

"Miss," he said lifting her backpack. She quickly claimed it and muttered a thank you before she left. I swear we could hear the trooper chuckle. After that she went to where the other costumed folks were.

Everybody was staring at me-us (crap it's hard), specifically the girls, great. Well Taylor did the only thing she knew to keep girl from hitting on her, well recently anyway, she talked. Wow I did not mean for it to sound like that.

"Oh hey," she asked they next to her he just wore a rainbow decorated skintight suit, and it was skin tight, sadly he had a small pot belly, light brown mullet, and wore a matching domino mask. "Do you know what the process is like?" I could see the surprised looks in the faces of the girls.

"Oh I reckon ya just follow 'long with everybody and it shoulbe 'ne," he replied with golden smile, his teeth were gold plated.

"…Thanks."

"Ey man, doncha mention it."

Besides him there was also a few people with other costumes, some had their costume clearly made of cardboard box, everybody else just wore either tights, clothes in such a complicated yet uniquely fashionable or a mix of the two. Wow did I go overboard for no reason? Was this all you really needed for proof of concept?

A guy who looks like a cardboard robot walked over to meet us, from his eyes and skin around his lips, I guess he was black.

"Hey, nice build," he said, his costume…wasn't a robot, it looked like one but it wasn't, it was a picture frame with a variety of landscape designs on each side of the boxes.

"Thanks, it took two months but I got it done."

"I can tell, you really put in a lot of effort into it," he said, "what's it made of?"

"Oh, black widow silk, it has a higher tensile strength than steel."  
"Black wi-spider silk?" He asked with astonishment.

"Yeah, it took an army of black widow spiders, but tear and bullet resistant clothing is worth it. Also," She pointed to the chest, "I made a bullet resistant fiberglass plate."

"Damnnnnnnnn!" He said respectively, "you seriously went all out, story and everything."

"Have to," I replied beating my chest plate a couple of time with my right arm, "it's a matter of life or death, right."

"Man, that's sick," he said with a small laugh, "you got me beat," he motioned to himself. "Names Portrait," he said offering his hand, "my power is that I can trap my foes into my portraits."

"Wow that's a lot better than mine," she reciprocated the gesture. "No name, um, I'm a tinker who can control bugs," she said, showing him my-our gloves. Okay I have to do something about this, eventually.

"Just bugs?"

"Well bugs, spider, worm, snails, even crabs, oddly enough."

"Oh, I see, just control? Can you mutate them at least?"

"Trying," she sighed, "I can't directly do it, have to pick and choose what to breed and that's bit of struggle and very slow. Lot of guess work. Plus, out on the field I have limited control," she motioned the gloves.

"Huh, so then that means you don't have fine control over a group of them, hence the gun," he nodded at said object.

"Yep."

"Well, I guess that means you have to get creative, good luck I guess." Before she could reply another peppier lady in uniform walked up to us and spoke.

"Alright folks, that's everyone, sadly we are unable to display the Ward headquarters," I heard a few groans, I wonder was that my fault? "Sorry, things are a little tight around here, but have no fear, the Wards will appear." A few people cheered…okay?

"Alright then, follow me this way," she said taking walking through a few doors. Wait, all of us? Both Taylor and I turned to see that Mullet-Rainbow guy and Portrait were walking along with the crowd. Oh, okay then.

Was this a test of some sort, see how well we do with strangers? It was a little weird. But oh well, the things we do to be a hero, right?

The lady took us on a tour of the PRT building, of course we did have two PRT trooper behind us and two with the lady, all carrying containment foam dispensers.

First thing we saw was the garage where they had all the vans the PRT uses to capture and transport villainous capes. We learned that the turret mounted at the top has motion control and well-constructed AI. While it can be remote controlled they don't have the feature built in because it might be dangerous if there is a parahuman with the power to abuse that privilege; instead tinkers or thinkers with an understanding are more or less trained in being able to modify the mounted turret if necessary.

"Alright," the Lady said clasping her hand "would anyone on tour with us today want to volunteer being 'captured,' it'll just take two minutes. Looking at you guys," she said casting a glance at everyone in costume _._

 _Meh what the hell,_ I'm sure we both thought as Taylor volunteered.

"Right this way," The peppy guide said as a few of the troopers who were already in the garage began to escort me and another girl in spandex to the van. Someone who called herself "Calypso, Cthulhu's advocate."

"We'll have to confiscate these," a woman, surprisingly, said. I thought it was man in that black armor. She took my backpack, my paintball gun, "what are these?" she asked looking at my gloves/bracers.

"Oh! Tinker-tech" I answered, "with bracers added to protect myself, you know if someone gets close."

"I see, I'll have to confiscate it then," She allowed the gloves to be taken off.

"What is this?" the lady asked as she observed the fabric, not the tinker-tech oddly enough.

"Silk from Black Widows," I said, "also, the bracers have a layer made up tear-resistant silk sheets and fiberglass resin in the center. Well not as bullet resistant as my chest and back plates. But still."

"Wait, plates? May see I them?"

"Um sure, I guess?" she took out the plates.

"This is…this is well made," she said awkwardly as she stared at them, rubbing her fingers on the grooved surface (thanks to the wood despite the tape), Okay…why is that weird?

"Well it is matter of life and death, right?"

"I…I guess," she said she kept eyeing them while my gloves were under her arm.

"Everything alright?" One of the two PRT trooper who were with us asked as they both approached.

"Um…take a look at this," she said, and the troopers did. "What is this?" She asked as she looked back at me.

"Fiberglass," I said with a shrug, "My dad and I made it using welding blanket and fiberglass resin."

"Do you mind if we try it out?"

"Be my guest." Isn't it natural to do so?

"Oh, can one of you two…" she trailed of as both troopers lifted their containment foam dispenser.

"I got it," said the other PRT trooper who was done with the other girl. "Now what's all the fuzz about." She had him the gloves while she pulled out a knife. She stabbed the plate a few times and showed it them.

"Barely a scratch," one said while the other whistled.

"Is there a problem," the Peppy lady asked.

"No," The female PRT trooper said as she put her knife away. I think it's a standard issue knife. She gave back the plates and the two PRT troopers want back to the crowd. After that they displayed how they handled parahumans, reading us our rights, how we're restrained and ship. Then they gave us our stuff back but the PRT trooper kept their eyes on me-us. I think we showed promise.

Next the lady gave us a tour of the holding cells, we didn't go in, they just let us peek from the door, this was just a stop gap for small time crooks. Dangerous parahuman are sent to the Protectorate Headquarters. Next, we went to the offices where a few people waved and greeted us. We stopped by the cafeteria, we didn't stop to get a bite-bet Taylor was jealous of me XD.

"Right this way we have a small proving ground." It was just a large white room with square panels and what looks like fake walls in the back, you could tell it was a retrofitted office floor. "Usually for tinkers but we have other capes with different classifications testing their powers here. In a safe environment," she sent a glance at us and a few other people's costume who looked a bit futuristic. I wonder if I will get a new type of inspiration added to my original tinker set if observe other tinkers with different specialties. Guess I'll talk to them later….

"While the PRT does encourage and support tinkers in creating new things, they first have to pass review." I knew that already. "For handheld equipment that has a level of guaranty that it will not liquefy someone or put a hole through the building, they quickly get tested, assed, and then reviewed here. Anything impractical and simply too unknown in both function and design are sent to research institutes associated with both the PRT and the Protectorate where scientist study these amazing pieces of technology and put them to use for the betterment of mankind. Technologies that can be useful to a Ward on duty will remain here, anything too dangerous is put on lock and key." In other words, reserved for Endbringer fights.

"Now I know it's a bummer that the option to see the Ward Headquarters is unavailable, but I'm sure everyone here will be excited to try out," a few PRT troopers walked up to her, "dispensing containment foam!" People cheered, even I was excited. I mean I'm pretty sure that if I became a villain or something I would never ever ever ever have a chance to use one these, yet today I can for just applying! …well Taylor can…fuck.

"Okay, be careful," the Trooper told Taylor in sort of boyish voice that made it difficult to tell if it was guy or girl, but my money is on guy. The tank or whatever that was connected to the flamethrower looking dispenser was on the trooper's back so of course the PRT troopers are behind citizens teaching them to dispense containment foam, and it was finally, sigh, Taylor's turn. Drat. "This thing as a kick to it," he warned, and he was right. I could tell that Taylor felt the kick but she was still able to hold on to it. It would have been more satisfying to use it on something but it was still cool. "Pretty cool, huh," he asked. "This foam can both expand, glue, and let a guy breath. There's still some danger if it gets in your mouth or nose before it expands, but its minimal," he explained.

"Its Dragon who made this right? How often does tinker-tech get used like this, I mean, to be used widely like containment foam by non-parahumans?"

"…beats me kid," he replied, "from what I know, tinker-tech is more or less like an inside joke. You're either a tinker with inside knowledge to get it or you're scratching your head like us wondering how it's funny. This tinker foam; we get it, itsa joke anyone can understand, even the unmixed batches. Even if we don't understand the science behind it completely, we get it. Sorry if it didn't make sense."

"No, it did," we quickly replied. Honestly, inside joke, that was pretty accurate I guess. "I guess if my tech is a joke, then its type that makes anyone laugh without realizing why it's funny."

"Reeaally," he asked with a bit of emphasis almost as if he was faking interest…okay. I don't know how ward recruitment normally goes but the reactions I've seen are pretty weird.

"Okay everyone," the peppy lady began once more, clasping her hands together. "We know some of you are prepared to shoot targets. So please arm yourselves while we get the targets ready."

Right away I saw a few of the costumed capes get out a bunch of weird stuff, huh, were they blasters or something, or did their power work better on distant opponents that way? I mean a girl just has a gun made from paper and rubber bands. I shook my head, I shouldn't judge.

"Oh can I load this," she asked the guy who instructed me on how to use the dispenser as she motioned the gun up and down.

"Go for it," he said. "Paintballs are fine, right," he asked another trooper who walked up to him. "Yep, it's just paint," huh another woman, though not as gruff as the one who was in the Garage. "Though I'm surprised they let you walk around with the CO2 tank applied."

"Oh, yeah I guess that is weird," Taylor admitted, "are you guys-"

"It's fine, you can load it," the female trooper said.

"Thanks," Taylor said as she took out a pod, popped the cap of the pod and the hopper and spilled it in and closed it.

"Everyone ready!" The peppy lady shouted. Taylor took aim at one of the four targets, the one at the far right was hers…sigh, this was what sucked about being a clone. "aim!" I saw her press the stock, the back of the CO2 tank, on her shoulder while she leveled the gun. Took aim.

" **FIRE!"**

She pulled the trigger, already expecting the order to come in, and shot the green dummy. It was just a green human dummy with a weird smile. I guess they don't want to offend anyone. She was in semi-automatic mode where you had your hand curled when you pulled the trigger, paint balls were on target, hitting the chest of the dummy. But that was it. In confusion, I looked at the other capes and Taylor seemed to glance at them too. They were firing nerf rounds and what not. Some even had their own rubber band gun. I was expecting a light show or something blaster worthy. I just saw people playing with toys (not like I can talk) and DIY stuff. I saw a few of them giving us envious looks, despite the mask they wore, I guess having a paintball gun was lucky. Okay…was there something I didn't get? I mean we are in the proving grounds, isn't this where we get our powers tested?

I shook my head as Taylor decided to get fancy. She uncurled her right hand, using the left to support and aim the gun, and using two fingers, she fanned the trigger, sending it to full auto-mode! A trick Annabelle taught me called "walking the trigger."

 **PATARIRIRIRIRIRIRI!**

"WOW!"

"COOL!"

"Awesome!"

I heard some of the crowd say, mostly the few kids in the group, I saw the other capes look at us. I shrugged. One kid, a small boy ran up to me.

"Can I try? Can I, Can I? Please?" She looked back to the crowd, scanning for a mom or a dad. Found a mom staring at me. She seemed to know what I wanted to ask. She shook her head.

"Sorry kid, mom says no." he turned to face her.

"Mom!"

"NO!" The mom quickly said.

"Sorry Kid, anyways, I'm out," she lied as she pulled the trigger for nothing to come out. "see?" We still had a pod left. Not that either of us would say that. Hearing a kid crying and whining is not on our to do list. He seemed to slump and walked over to his mom. The other capes went back to firing what they can while the PRT troopers seem to be returning their projectile.

"Nice," the PRT trooper who instructed me said. "You play a lot?"

"Yeah, my powers aren't really useful in close combat. I don't know if I'll get tranq-gun or something when I join the wards, but my Dad said I can practice shooting this way," Taylor answered as she went back to looking at the other capes firing their stuff. She didn't see the two PRT trooper exchange looks at the edge of her vision.

Okay something is off and I'm sure she can feel it too. I mean I don't know what the procedure to join the wards is but-

"Um, miss?"

"Yes?" Taylor answered and pointed her masked face to the trooper.

"…No, never mind." He seemed like he was really wanted to ask something but couldn't bring himself to. Okay was there something I was not getting?

Well risk time. I pushed passed the glass wall.

"Okay something is definitely up,"

Taylor nodded.

"I think you know what to do," I said. After all this was the proving ground, what better way to prove who we are then testing it here?

TAYLOR NODDED.

"OH hey," Taylor turn to ask the PRT troopers who seem to be muttering between themselves. I quickly pushed back against the glass as the plastic bag followed me in the darkness.

"Oh-uh-yes?"

"This is the proving grounds for tinkers, right? Would it be alright if I test my stuff?"

"Your stuff." Taylor showed them the gloves.

"Tinker-Tech, I control bugs. This would be my first time targeting it on something with human proportions."

"Oh well…" again they looked at each other, the female trooper just gave him a shrug "I guess it should be OK."

"Thanks," Taylor said. I couldn't see her face but I knew she was smiling, because I was. I think I have pretty good idea of what's going on and this would probably clear up a few things. She turned the gloves on, the headband too, she waited for the screens to come online. What? We can't leave the screen on all the time, it would drain the batteries too fast and we can't just stop and charge it at a store.

"Oh wait," Taylor said as she pulled out the modified camera. Nice touch Taylor!

"Oh-no photography allowed," the female trooper said.

"Its not for me, it's for you guys. That way you can see what I'm doing," she turned it on and handed it to them. "Point it at the dummies," said as she bright up the Nintendo screen in front of her, typed on the pad to switch to targeting mode. Then she put the peregrine glove was in front of the power glove. Normally I would need bugs to be in the room to mark objects, especially none human ones, but luckily there was the data from the clip-on camera, (the trooper are pointing in the right direction) and the green dummy fit the proportions. She tapped her thumb against her pinky.

"What the-" The female Trooper let out as the male trooper leaned in to see what was going on. They just saw the bright red highlights for target, not that either of us could tell from where we were looking but out Nintendo screen did the same. She aimed at the peregrine glove at the other target, the other capes seem to be ignoring her, and tapped finger fingers to mark them.

"Targets marked, wow that worked well. Now for the critters." She said as she brought up the peregrine glove iPod Nano on her wrist to eye and used the power glove to navigate it. The iPod had two functions, finding bugs in a radar like map, and selecting them. With my power glove's keys I can change between swarm control or individual control, not that individual control was that useful. "Time to summon some bugs."

"Wait what?"

Right now I was using the radar, I used the circular pad to switch from a 2-D view to a 3D, otherwise it would be confusing, after I did so I was surprised. Huh? Who knew.

"What's that yellow stuff," the male PRT trooper asked with interest.

"Bugs, according to my power glove, it mostly roaches."

"Huh," the female trooper let out, "I guess we missed some." There were three or four within the walls in front of us.

"Um…you guys might want to look up." They did so and pointed the Camera to the ceiling.

" **WHAAT THE F**!" She yelled catching everyone's attention and bringing the other PRT troopers who are not near the dummies towards us.

"Shit," he muttered. Right above us was pretty much a swarm of roaches.

"Yeah I know, the building's infested. Who knew," Taylor said. And the room was so white too. "Ah everyone, you might want to back away," Taylor said as she changed commands. Ugh I want to do that too…. Wait a minute? Could I do it too? I mean I have no idea what's controlling the bugs but the cameras and telescope I clone on my person does work in my world, I just can't take back recordings or pictures so…something to think about later on.

She tapped her fingers together in order to call a swarm in front of her.

"Whoa!" the female trooper said as both she and the male trooper jumped a little as the swarm began to move.

"Everything alright," approaching troopers asked when a high-pitched scream filled the room causing everyone to turn their heads to the group

"KYAAA!"

"AH!"

"Fuck!"

"BUGS!"

"WHOA-SHIT!" a few the capes backed away as roaches and whatnots started coming inside the room. And they all gathered in front of us in a semi-circle.

"Alright and now," I put my hand up tapped my fingers together, the "attack marked targets" command, and pointed forward with a dramatic two finger point, "Attack." The critters let out various sounds as they swarmed the targets. I had a few ways of doing this, one finger had them all converge and attack one, another had the all dividing equally, or close to it, to attack all marked targets, and one had me sending one of the equal groups to attack while the rest stayed back.

"Alright it works," she cheered with a smile before she shrieked and yell in high pitch voice **"AHHH!"** as she was sprayed with containment foam and there was suddenly a bunch of mixed voices and commands all round.

Oh joy.

* * *

on hindsight, the cardboard boxes should have been a giveaway.

And that's how we're here. Cool story, huh?

After the confusion, they took us to a room where they got most of the containment foam off, some sort of Ionic solution I think…I think I could do the same with a mixture of fire ant and crazy ant venom, the mixture is an ionic liquid.

She still had bits of foam on her but it didn't hamper us so it was fine. They took us to a room with what seemed like an emergency shower, and the troopers told Taylor to get undressed and to take a quick shower. It was quick, like five minutes. They handed us a towel and the change of clothes we brought, a spare pair of sandal, then our glasses.

After that they took us to a room with a single mirror that I suspect is one-sided, had a table with most of my stuff on it; my helmet and glove were there, the camera, my utility belt with the Epipen, pepper spray, paintball pod and gun with the tank still attached (oddly enough), phone, wallet with ID out, box with the cover off and the two control towers inside, sketchbook and laptop and charger. And then they sat Taylor on one side of the table with two PRT troopers beside her and told us to wait quietly…at least they didn't have containment foam pointed at her.

I'm sure Taylor was both bored and bit nervous. I was bored too I guess, I didn't really have much to do, except, I don't know, **STARE AT THE GODDAMN SIMURGH!**

Yeah, she was right there! The PRT trooper on Taylor's right had a clone of the Simurgh in his perception of the world, just like me. I was so focused on Taylor's world I honestly didn't think I had to look round to see if one of the PRT troopers had a Simurgh in their world. Well hindsight is 20/20, not much to do now but move on and learn from it.

He wasn't a cape so he was either someone who's home was attacked by the Endbringer or was around the quarantine area. Either way she was there and she was staring at me, practically putting her face right on glass wall.

She was tall, like really tall, fifteen feet I think-around a giraffe's height, white long hair that was just as long as her body, smooth looking milk skin, various feathered wings with random placement, the largest three covering her naked body, and greyish eyes like steel glued on to me. Move to the left, her eyes followed left, move to the right a bit more than usual, she turns her head to look at me.

I'm sure Taylor doesn't know and can peacefully wait around being bored, but to me, I guess it was like looking at a ferocious t-rex behind a glass wall knowing it has its sights set on you. Thankfully it seems like she can't leave the world she inhabits but it was still creepy and there was no way in hell I was getting in there with her!

She didn't talk, "sing" or "scream" or anything. She just stayed still, floating I think, while looking at me with neutral expression, her eyes being the only thing that told me she wanted me.

Once again, the Simurgh is jealous of me. And unless I wanted to be in the abyss I had to stand in the light given to me by both Taylor and the PRT trooper's perceived world and just take it like a champ. So that's what I did. I sat on the "floor" and ate a chocolate bar while I stared at her.

Oh yeah, I can bring food with me, and I can eat it and it will just reappear and its not like I'll gain weight. That plastic bag following me. Filled with my tasty snacks. What? Yes, I don't need food nor do I get hungry, but I do get bored and eating helps pass the time. Look me in the eye and tell me that if you could eat pizza all day of all types or something equal without a stomach ache or gaining weight or any other health issues, you wouldn't do it?

…

I'm waiting.

See.

So that's my situation. The Simurgh is being a creepy fuck and won't let me eat in peace!

* * *

 **Author's long ass note**

For those of you wondering, the HTC Universal was a phone released in 2005, and according to the wiki it was worth 30 euros in 2008, and according to the review videos (I didn't understand the language) it seemed sick as hell! like the description it was pocket computer with a turnable touch screen that included a stylus for drying.

Next chap will be more engaging, probably, lot less explaining.

The fire ant and crazy ant venom mixture that forms ionic liquid is recent-ish discovery, for those of you who don't know ionic liquid is used as an alternative solvent to acid, found in batteries as a conductor, and used for metal plating.

I'll express this again, I WANT PEOPLE TO COPY MY FANFIC IDEAS AND WRITE THEIR OWN VERSION! Some people have asked me what my personal thoughts are on a tinker version of Taylor's power, so here, feel free to copy or ignore these:

First off, what both Taylors can do. Canon Taylor has very-very-very fine control over her swarm and could even tap into their senses and on top of all that she could multitask to an absurd degree without a clear limit, at least with her swarm anyway, her multitasking was at the point where she could control bugs individually without having to split her attention. Tinker Taylor doesn't have that control or the multitasking, sure give her a laptop and a quiet place and she can show off with her bugs and tinker a way to use their senses to a degree canon Taylor can't replicate, but giving every individual bug commands was too impractical and time consuming; tinker Taylor is limited by the controls she makes and normal human multitasking so she does have to split her attention, she'd have to rely on her bugs following her program while splitting her attention on different groups of her swarm or areas she controls.

Second, level of control and fighting preference. Canon Taylor can control her swarm and manipulate individual bugs at the same time to turn the tide in a fight, especially in close combat and can easily set traps; she excels in close combat thanks to her bug and can take down her opponents. Tinker Tayler has limited control over her swarm and the nature of her control makes close combat troublesome, so partly because of this but mostly because of mercenary canon Taylor fics where she uses guns is pretty cool to me, she uses projectile weapons. So instead Taylor uses her bugs to mark and locate targets and snipes them, has some melee weapons for close combat just in case. But what puts tinker Taylor a step up on canon Taylor is that she does not personally have to supervise her bugs and micromanage them with a fine comb or even be around them. She can have them following a set of orders for days without checking in or being near them, just a quick look at the laptop screen and everything is running smoothly, meanwhile canon Taylor does have to micromanage her bugs constantly, be within the area they reside and when she can't she has to cage her specialized bugs.

Well, to summarize, cannon Taylor has the overall advantage in a fight with her level of control while Tinker Taylor has the overall advantage in production with her level of control.

Third is limits and range. Canon Taylor has a range of 2 blocks that can extend depending on her emotional state, these are her limits. Tinker Taylor's range is shorter than that, but unlike canon Taylor, Tinker Taylor can get around this and by creating control towers or relays or even modifying bugs to make them relay bugs or overlord bugs (could go the Zerg method and evolve them, or making them cyborgs, or just make some bugs fairy control towers around); her limit is the amount of time and resources she has. In short. tinker Taylor has an exponential range but the exchange is that she PERSONALLY does not have powers so if she is outside of her tech's range or simply has her tech taken away, or if an enemy uses an EMP, she's fucked. Sure, she can tinker but that takes time and even if she has a gun…but inversely if she went up against a trump 0, then she'd have the upper hand over canon Taylor.

Fourth numbers. A huge difference is that Canon Taylor is one person, (unless she gets clones, twin-ed, or trumped) only she can control bugs (unless Leet gets paid to emulate her powers). Tinker Taylor has no such restriction and can give any number of people she chooses limited control of her bugs, but the tradeoff is that people can steal her tech, and in my fic her tech does play well with other technology, unlike the excuse a _Cloudy Path_ uses; you'll see it next chap but her software isn't something people (AI included) can understand but it can be copy-n-pasted, it's just a matter of stealing the right software.

Fifth, resources and cost. Canon Taylor doesn't particularly have a cost to her powers and besides the natural limit of the bugs in the area, for noteworthy production she needs space to keep her specialized bugs and cages/terrariums. Tinker Tayler is different, she needs resources, she needs money, materials, specimens, and what not. Canon Taylor would find it easier to be on her own while Tinker Taylor would find it easier being part of an organization to gather the necessary resources, no I don't just mean's backers and donors I also mean the suppliers.

Both version can earn money but it's hard to say who trumps over who, both Taylors are smart and can stretch their earnings, besides the initial cost Tinker Taylor can work on a budget and make her tech last and eventually beat cannon Taylor in production and manufacturing in the long run, but canon Taylor doesn't have the extra cost tinker Taylor has to worry about so she can make rapid expansions earlier than tinker Taylor can and can attack freely, but her nature gives her a limit of how many facilities she is capable of overseeing. For those of you who play SCII think of Canon Taylor as the zerg and doing zergling rush while tinker Taylor is the terran, blocking them using supply depots and only has at most five marines.

Sixth, relationships and double life. Both Taylors have different aspects of this to worry about. Canon Taylor can keep her power hidden from the people she cares about, doesn't require her to seek out relationships, but makes maintaining her two lives difficult. Tinker Taylor needs relationships, I don't necessarily mean backers and donors I mostly mean suppliers, she needs to actively pursue different suppliers especially if she is personally financing herself so she has to look for cheaper deals or build trust enough to get discounts, but Tinker Taylor would find managing her double life and keeping it separate from the people she cares about easier seeing how she can manage everything from the comfort of her room with a laptop while canon Taylor has to personally walk around and visit locations where her bugs and targets are.

Well these are my views, feel free to argue them in the reviews and add any points I missed. Still don't know what I want to do in regards with Panacea/Amy, I am not doing the unholy combo where Amy makes super critters for Taylor to control! In fact, instead of fic where Taylor tries to do the good thing and tell Amy to take a chill pill, relax and take time off…I'll probably go the opposite route and lay on the pressure.

The obvious question I'm sure everyone here is waiting for. Why? Why the fricken wards? Well…so far the only fic I've actually read where Canon Taylor joins the Ward is "Survival Strategy" that seems to be dead and I want more fics like that.

I found a fic where Taylor goes solo and that's "Skitter Tails." Good so far.

One where Canon Taylor leaves Brockton Bay and goes to Brazil, "Vacation Time," pretty new but I like what I see so I'm hopeful.

One where she is with E88 and calls herself orb weaver, forgot the name, pretty good but seems dead.

There's the unholy pair of skitter and Amy/quarantine/panacea, Heredity, pretty good but too Amy centric for my taste.

And there are quite a few where canon Taylor stays with the Undersiders. Some dead some still going.

But ward or Merchant fics are very rare, there is one where Taylor goes solo and is more or less a mercenary associated with the merchants but thats it. Well I'm going wards unless everyone wants this to go the merchant route….


	3. Join the fun 2

Yeah I know I have a habit of using info dumps, but I'm improving. Here's the next chapter, enjoy and tell me in the reviews what you think. Also, I already knew this but was hard to get it out of my head, it still is and I still go with my original thoughts on the last name's pronunciation in fanfiction unless the writer corrects it. READ ENJOY REVIEW!

I don't own worm!

* * *

Ten minutes had passed and I was bored of eating boxed raisins. Crap, getting bored of food was something I knew would happen, but I didn't think it would be this fast. I mean I added variety, but I didn't account that I could actually eat and not stop eating. Also, the taste did not leave my mouth, so I needed to get water or something next time I do this. Whelp. I guess I'll learn self-restraint later…if it's possible.

And right now, I was bored.

Jesus how long does it take to get someone in the room to talk to me? TAYLOR I MEAN! Jesus, I hate this individuality crap…I think I might actually start referring myself in the third person. Well whatever. It might be that they are letting me stew or something.

Right now, I was bored and the Simurgh had not taken her eyes off me. I took out a spam sandwich I had made earlier, pulled the wrapper off and began to eat it as I studied her. Hey cheap is cheap and spam wasn't too bad so long as you cook it properly in thin slices and don't make it your main diet. Thankfully I didn't need a microwave because the stuff I brought with me were still in the same condition I cloned it. So the cheese, the temperature and the crispiness of the spam was just right and the buns weren't soggy or soft but perfectly crunchy. I honestly don't remember how many times I have eaten it. Damn, maybe next time I should clone a portable stove with ingredients, test meals and recipes out.

After I licked my lips I reached into the bag and pulled out the same sandwich I ate. I walked to the window, the Simurgh still keeping a neutral expression as I approached. I don't know why I did it, boredom maybe? I turned the sandwich to it edge and pushed it against the glass and pushed it through.

" **SHIT!"** I yelled as I held on to the sandwich for my dear life as I pulled backward. The Sigmurgh just tried to pull me into the world she inhabited through my sandwich…Jesus what an opportunist! Thankfully I had cut in half before I cloned it. Though I guess it is my fault for messing with an Endbringer…I supposed I could have let go, it's just a sandwich after all.

And now it had half of my sandwich. She looked at it curiously as it floated in front of her. Well I did hear that she was telekinetic…She looked at me again. Different this time. Almost asking what to do.

I didn't know how to answer, I just got my half my sandwich and bit into it. The Simurgh brought its right hand up, grabbed the half, and mimicked my motions. She began to eat the sandwich. Despite its tall frame, it took small elegant bites, almost as if it was nervous or afraid to eat. And that's how it went, we ate the sandwiches as we stared at each other….

Look at me sharing a sandwich with the Simurgh, aren't I a badass? Better not tell anyone though, pretty sure this would get me the death penalty for feeding an Endbringer…actually if I need to prove I'm a good liar I could just say that…what was the statue of limitations for feeding an Endbringer anyway?

After we were done, we both licked our fingers as I reached for another sandwich…I ended up pulling out only half of it with the full wrapping. I looked and sure enough, the Simurgh had the other half in front of her, almost taunting me with it…the Simurgh stole half of my sandwich…Name one fricken person this happens to!

"Eye's up Taylor," I heard as both the Simurgh and I turned to face our worlds. Taylor's head looked up to see a white obese woman with blond hair that was clearly bleached that was further acerbated by the bob cut she wore her hair in. Her eyes were as grey and cold as the Simurgh, thankfully Taylor didn't know. "I am director Emily Piggot," she introduced herself as she sat down and put a folder in front of her, ignoring eye contact. "I manage the Protectorate, the PRT, and the Wards in Brockton Bay ENE. This is Kid Win and Vista, as you no doubt know," Kid Win with a new visor and Vista walked in behind her. She made eye contact with Taylor I could feel it.

[connect?]

I answered as I'm sure Taylor did.

 **[(Decline unless instigated)]**

[acknowledged]

"Oh nice to-" Taylor began putting her hand out.

"SIT down Miss Herbert," Director Piggot said loudly that quite frankly made Taylor fall down on her seat.

"I-it-its pronounced Hee-bert, maim," Taylor said, but Director Piggot paid no mind and just read the file in front of her.

"Taylor Hee-bert," she began, "Currently on your last semester of freshman year in Winslow. Soon to be 16 in a few months on June 19th. Father, Daniel Hebert, goes by the nickname "Danny," head of hiring and spokesperson of the Dockworkers Association. Mother, Annette Hebert, English Professor and known accomplice of Lustrum," yeah, mom was part of the gang before it became violent, "deceased. My condolences," she quickly skimmed. "We have gone over the camera recordings, the front desk statement, statements from the tourist, cosplayers and the PRT troopers who came in contact with you. We even contacted your dad and he confirmed your story. Everything points that you are not a villain and have, in fact, came to join the wards."

"Yes, th-"

"We even confirmed that you got permission to use your "powers" in the proving grounds. That it was all misunderstanding." Taylor didn't dare say something of fear of Director Piggot interrupted her again, or so I assume.

"From what I understand, you are tinker, specialty: volukenesis emulation," volukenesis, is that an actual word? "in short, you manipulate bugs," but isn't voles instead of bugs?

"Well…" Taylor cut in, that earned her a glare, making her reply grow meek "pretty much bugs, spiders, worms…nails…. Crabs too…."

"Right…" Piggot said, obviously sounding annoyed. "Anything else? Can you control cats, dogs, birds, lizards…humans?"

"No maim," Taylor quickly shook, "tiny critters seem to be the limit."

"Can you mutate them?"

"I…I've been trying, but I haven't really had much luck. You know, selective breeding."

"I see," she said, "do you think that is wise, Miss Hebert" she asked, almost as if she was accusing me of something.

"A-a little, so long as they are on a tight leash, I guess."

"You say that…yet the second we removed you from the proving ground, the bugs went out of control. Care to explain that?"

"I tried to tell the troopers that it would happen," Taylor began, "my gloves have a max range two and a half meters."

"Not much of range, considering what you can do," Piggot observed.

"Well by itself sure. But if you use the control towers than my control extends."

"Control towers," Piggot question with a bit of surprise, lifting an eyebrow.

"The box, it has two of them. One is capable of covering a half a city block, all directions."

"So…a radius of a quarter block then?"

"Yes maim."

"What does the control towers run on," she asked as she stared at the objects in the box, they just looked like metal triangular cell towers with crude wiring.

"Rechargeable batteries, Double A, and can be plugged into a socket. It doesn't drain too much and on battery alone it can keep broadcasting a signal for six hours on full charge."

"What does it broadcast?"

"I… I don't know. I have no idea how I control them, only that I can. I thought it was sound or radio waves but I don't think it's either for those."

"I see, would you mind if I have Kid Win take apart the gloves and the camera to verify that you are tinker?"

"…No maim, I can make another one. Also…my phone can also control bugs, same range as the gloves but I think I can extend it if I tried."

"I see, Kid Win," she motions him to do his thing. He nodded with a tight smile and moved to the table. He still wore the same costume with the additions of red metallic gloves gold streaks.

"Sorry," he offers. We both nodded. I didn't like that my devices are taken apart but hey, it's their house and the quicker I get this over with the quicker I can join. He quickly got to work, from his gloves came white light that shaped around his fingers. Huh, he got the multi-tool to work on his fingers.

"So, Miss Hebert," Piggot continued catching both our attentions, "why should we accept you into the Wards? Having a parahuman who control bugs, spiders, and the likes with a look of villain isn't exactly something that does wonders for us."

"I," she began, wow I know, that was as cold as it was truthful. "I know that my skills are not in demand, but I was hoping that I could improve in the wards, polish my talents and eventually join the Pro-"

"You misunderstood Miss Hee-bert," She swiftly cut me off. "I asked why _should_ we want you, not what we could do for you. This is a job, Miss Hebert, not an educational facility." She pointed at the paper while keeping eye contact with Taylor, "This, by all means, is a job interview, treat it as such." I saw her stiffen. Right, Gallant isn't here, but he could be behind the one-way mirror, but luckily Taylor can see me if I'm in her world. If I can hear through the glass, even if its muffled a bit, then hopefully she can hear me. Let see if I can earn my existence, my job is to make her not feel alone.

"TAYLOR," I shouted, she twitched a bit, okay too loud, "if you can hear me," I continued loudly, "take a deep breath. Our good points. You know them," She took a deep breath. Good.

"I'm dedicated, I'm a quick study, I'm still playing around with what my powers can do but I hope I can follow along the footsteps of my hero."

"Dragon I presume."

"Shock her!" I said loudly with a smile as Taylor shook her head.

"It used to be Alexandria, it still is Alexandria, but since I'm a tinker I needed a tinker to look up to. After thinking and looking around I decided that my tinker hero is Sphere." I swear I saw Piggot twitch her eyes, obviously trying to contain her surprise but both the Wards ruined it. Kid Win stopped pulling apart my tech to look at Taylor while Vista let her mouth fall open. Hell, I glanced at Simurgh's window and noted that the PRT trooper looked at Taylor too. It wasn't supposed to be a shock tactic, that was the honest truth.

"Mannequin," she asked with a bit of disbelief but for the most part kept herself composed.

"No maim," Taylor politely replied, "Sphere."

"You know they're the same person," Vista asked with a bit of shock, I could see Piggot bit her bottom lip a bit and by the subtle twitch I'm guessing that Vista sensed her frustration and took a few steps back.

"I know, but I'm referring to Sphere before he went psychotic. If you look at what he did, what he planned, what he could do. That's what I think of when I think "tinker." I mean think about all of their specialties. How they could improve everyone's life if it had no restriction. Even my specialty, you could clearly tell that it would work better improving life rather than fighting. Our tech could do so much more, and yet we can't because its tinker-tech. And when I think of tinkers who fight, well, I think of Mannequin. He is the spitting image of what tinkers can do, regardless of whether they are heroes or villains. I mean, mannequin took what I think is a food processer and turned it into a weapon. Isn't that what tinkers do?"

"…I see," Piggot said, "if that's the case, then why do you want to became a hero, something you consider Mannequin to the best representation of?"

"Because I want to fight. Despite how weak my power is, I want to be a hero and try to see if I can do what Sphere once tried to do. I want to use my powers to help people!" Everyone looked at me. Kid Win shook his head a bit and went back to taking my stuff apart. I wonder, did our belief offend him? "That's why I want to join the wards. I want to fight crime, and improve my abilities beyond "bug repellant." I've already read articles where the critters I control can help people."

"Like making bullet resistant clothing," Piggot noted, it sounded like she was asking a question but it was more of a statement.

"There's that but mostly farming them for materials. It might actually be possible to reduce the amount of e-waste people produce and replace the toxic material we use with something bio-degradable. There could also be improvements. An Orb Weaver's silk could be spun exactly how we want it and we could coat it with gold particles, iodine, and nanotubes to make very flexible conductors or sensitive sensors." Kid Win stopped and looked at me.

"Holy crap, I think Armsmaster would love that," then he looked at Piggot who looked at him with a leveled glare. Kid Win slowly went back to tinkering as me muttered "sorry."

"You put a lot of thought into your powers, how to squeeze the most out of what little you can do."

"No maim, I'm still squeezing," Taylor corrected her. "I'm still thinking. It's all I can do right now."

"I see," Piggot said but she honestly didn't seem to care. "You told us why you want to join, you briefly listed a few reasons why we should want you to join, sadly it was not convincing enough," she critiqued. Fuck. "But luckily for you, we make it a policy to recruit tinkers." THEN WHAT THE FUCK WAS THE WHOLE POINT OF THIS? "Are you done," she asked Kid Win.

"Yea…yeah," he finished as he finished taking apart my phone. "and I am confused."

"Not surprising," Piggot said, "a tinker that control bug would have obscured constructs."

"Huh? Oh, actually it's the opposite, we could actually replicate this without any trouble, at least not legally."

"What?" Piggot asked with an actual shocked expression.

"What?" Taylor asked.

"WHAT?" I asked with surprise.

"Sorry, my bad," Kid Win said, "it's just that none of the hardware is tinker-tech. I see how it works how its wireless and what not. As far as I can tell, she just re-arranged the components to suit her. And the phone, it looks just like a phone with nothing special added to it. At least nothing that suggest controlling bugs. Any chance I can look at the software?"

"Um, may I?" She pointed to the laptop, Piggot just nodded to it. She booted it up and opened the windows. "Okay here's my main program that I used to control bugs with my laptop, to be honest I have more fine control over a swarm with my laptop then I do with my gloves. The other windows are for the gloves, Neural Impulse Actuator, camera and phone."

"Wait, a NIA? The gaming thing? Where," Kid Win asked, Taylor simply pointed to the band attached to the mask. "Oh, right."

"The software," Piggot inquired.

"Um…" Kid Win looked at it, "yeah that's tinker-tech. By the looks of it, she hardcodes her stuff without comments."

"Sorry," Taylor said confused. Hardcode? Comments?

"Oh, I was like that too. When you code, you're supposed to add comments before each function so you know what it does and you can copy-n-paste it instead of typing it from scratch. It's basically impossible for tinkers but we try to do it anyway."

"Mmm but I do copy and paste and I know what the functions do," Kid Win snorted a bit.

"Alright," he turned the computer to face me, "What does this function do?"

"It's not function, that just a part of it…the function…it…it…" yeah it…what? "what the?" I knew what it does, I've used it thousands of times already. But why couldn't I explain it?

"You know what it does, but you don't know how to explain or describe it. That's how it is for tinkers. It gets better the more you actually study the subject, but even then, it's hard to put into words."

"Huh, not even in and I'm already learning," Taylor commented as I nodded while taking bite out of half my sandwich.

"Speaking of which," Piggot said as she took a sheet of paper and pulled out a pen. She pushed both of them in front of Taylor. "In order to join the Wards, you need to sign this. This is nothing serious, it's just to assure that we know who you are and that you have every intention to join. I'll have someone iron out the details of the full contract with your father for official membership at later date that is more convenient for him. That will include, rights and royalties of your technology, going over your duties as a ward, the eventual talk regarding endbringer fights, your trust fund and salary, and benefits. Alright?" So…in other words, sign to join, at least in name.

"Yes," she motioned the paper and Taylor signed it.

"We have done a background check, as I'm sure you noticed, Miss Hebert," Piggot said standing up, "I'll remind you once more. This is job, not clubhouse. We have strict rules and procedures that we expect both you and your coworkers to abide by. I can see that your grades and attendance have been improving recently…we fully expect you to maintain a 90% grade-point-average and to conduct yourself properly in both your civilian identity and cape persona. Also, that extends to how you treat your peers, for better or for worse, your all in this together, if you a have problem with each other, I fully expect you to work it out for the sake of the job. Is that clear?" In other words…play nice with fucking Sophia, there's no avoiding it, both Taylor and I were angry.

"What a bitch," I said as I stared a Piggot, she knew our situation, she knew Sophia was more or less responsible for our powers and she fully expects us to work together like nothing happened.

"Yes," Taylor replied while nodding. Well if Gallant saw it we can always change what we are angry about.

"Good," she replied, "You may reassemble your tech in the Wards HQ, keep in mind that you are not allowed to use them in the building and will have to submit them for review to pass a safety evaluation, or in this case, your software. After that, it's yours to use unless you decide to sell it to us. Your costume will be returned to you in the Wards HQ, but we will make an appointment with you about what you will wear in public and test the full extent of your combat abilities. If you have any question regarding tinkers in this organization, I'm sure Kid Win would be happy to help," and with that she left the PRT troopers following behind her. Yay the Simurgh is gone!

"Oh, one sec," Kid Win said as he went to the door, crouched and pick up a few containers and brought them to the table. "Figured we'd need these," he explained.

"I'll help," Vista offered.

"Thanks," Taylor said as she stood up, quickly they put everything in separate containers to make reassembly easier, after that Taylor collected our stuff, grabbed a container with the phone, Kid Win has the gloves, and Vista has the camera. Taylor collected the stuff and put them in the backpack, except the gun, she had to carry that.

"Oh mask, on," Kid win said, and the paintball mask came on.

Soon we were out on the hallway where Gallant was waiting next to the door with his arms crossed. I guess Taylor and I were surprised a bit but that was natural. He probably would have found both of us warry of him, if we didn't have two months to prepare for our encounter. After some mental training, I've come the conclusion that even if I knew about the emotion seeing power I didn't care. Gallant was more or less polite with the emotions he saw and just used it to maneuver around people and create a good impression.

"Do you need any help with that," Gallant asked politely.

"I'm fine," I said. "You're Gallant, the other tinker, right?"

"That's," he began, "i-it's complicated…and you already suspect I'm not."

"Sorry, the post by Earworm and all, it kind of…."

"I understand," he said, I could see that everyone mood was upset and I'm sure Taylor noticed it too, "well let's go to the clubhouse," he said, almost too eagerly.

"Well some ones in a good mood," Taylor observed.

"Oh, he's happy," Vista said, she sounded nonchalant but knowing her and Gallant…. "The hover bike Kid Win built has been approved. Armsmaster doing the final tests before he brings it over."

"Wait you actually took his advice and built a hovercraft," Taylor said as she looked at Kid Win.

"Well…its complicated," Kid Win said rubbing the back of his head, the whole "Earworm Scandal" has still not died down. Jeez I didn't think the PHO post would get that big of a response. You have people debating who Earworm is. Before the director made a statement regarding the post, people thought it was rogue or something working with the Wards. The statement is that Earworm is in fact a Stranger-rogue that the PRT are, at the moment, trying to track down.

When I checked the post under a different account and there were tons of comments. I was not dumb enough to use that account again unless I wanted to make a statement or something. Pretty sure the PRT could track me down and not to mention thinkers…fricken thinkers. I don't know who but someone actually figured out that I was checking my account through another dummy account and messaged me about it, that was "AllSeeingEye." Whoever the person was, I didn't give him or her the chance and just logged out.

"So, is what the person said true, your specialty?"

"…So far," he said with a shrug. "It's a little weird ya know, someone else knowing your specialty before you do. Also, what do they owe me for? That-that's the part that kind of freaks me out. I'm…even if I'm just a Ward I still have access to Protectorate stuff so..."

"Like what?"

"Its…you'll see."

"I hate that guy," Vista said, with a small off, I would be offended if I didn't know she had a crush. Still I was curious and Taylor was too, so we had to feign ignorance by asking.

"What did he do? Was it serious?"

"A little, I was…we have something called a Master/Stranger protocols, um do you know all the classifications?

"Yeah, there's blasters who shoot stuff, right? Then there's tinker like me who make things beyond modern science. Thinkers who out think everyone. Next, brutes are capes with enhance strengths and take a lot of damage, tanks pretty much. Movers are people with powers that help them get around pretty fast. Shakers, cape with powers that effect a large area, like you. Strangers are people with powers that allows them to sneak around or have powers that you can't exactly see. There's master who can make minions or control other people. And lastly trumps, people who effect powers."

"Yep, and the protocol helps reduce any damage they might do if someone here gets mastered or if a cape with stranger powers sneaks in," she informed as if Taylor was a new kid and she was the senior…granted that was the situation but it was odd hearing the explanation from a kid younger than me, especially considering that Taylor was a Master/Stranger. "If they suspect that you are being "mastered," then they put you in quarantine for observation. They'll let you out after they know you are yourself. After that post went up, all the wards we put in isolation for a whole day, the whole 24 hours! And not only that, Kid Win wasn't even allowed to go into his lab for two weeks."

"OH WOW," Taylor said, crap I didn't think that would happen. "I'm so sorry to hear that,"

"Meh it was months ago," Kid Win said with a shrug.

"Yeah, and it's not like Kid Win couldn't brain storm. If anything, he was able to go straight to building the second he was allowed back into his lab," Gallant said with a bit of mirth.

"I'm just happy we got another girl in the Wards!" Vista said loudly, obviously trying to change the subject.

"Oh right, it's only two girls in the Ward," Taylor said…Sophia…. "What's Shadow Stalker like?"

"Oh! Um…she…has a strong personality," Vista replied awkwardly.

"Out of everyone she's the only one here against her will," Kid Win replied.

"Because of that she sort-of builds a wall against everyone, so we don't really get along well."

"Oh… Do you think… you guys don't think that she'll…you know, be mean to me."

"Oh-Um, yeah, no we don't, um…."

"Well…. She recently had a…well…." both Kid Win and Gallant seem to fumble around the subject. No doubt remembering my name from a few months ago when they busted Sophia.

"Wow. That bad," Taylor replied.

"It's worse," Vista said shaking, did she know?

"Well as long as she's not Sophia Hess I'm fine," Taylor said making everyone jump slightly. "You guys alright?"

"Oh yeah, it's just the comms, umm our communication system just had a loud feedback," Gallant quickly made up and no one corrected him.

"Oh, that sucks," I said.

"Sooooo…" Vista said, "Sophia Hess?"

"She's an old bully from Winslow. She… She made my life difficult, she even took my best friend away from me and she even uses the secrets I told my best friend against me…she even destroyed my mother flute. I still don't know how she took it from my locker." Even through the glass wall I could hear Vista and Kid Win griping their containers tighter. Gallant wasn't looking.

Whelp not much I can do anymore.

"Oh…I see," Vista said. "Sorry to-"

"Its fine," Taylor said.

"Hey should I join with you now or do you want me around longer." I asked, then realized she couldn't reply, "um two nods for yes." Taylor nodded two times. It's been a while so she probably didn't want the headache to be too bad. "Okay, and don't be alarmed, but I accidentlyfedtheSimurgh."

"Wait what?"

xxxx

"What what?" Vista asked I shook my head.

"Sorry just headache," I replied, Jesus what's with my clones! I wouldn't describe myself as a risk taker yet they go and take risk. Was this my power at work?

"We have med kit in the HQ, if it doesn't go away I'll get you an aspiring," Gallant said.

"Thanks," Gallant nodded.

"So…about the hover bike, is it just Gallant or do we all get to use it?"

"Oh soso," Kid Win said, "Clockblocker and Miss Militia more or less rides with Gallant when they go together, but it's mostly Gallant. Out of everyone on the team, Clockblocker is the only one without a mover rating because his power's don't really go well with vehicles. Wait, can you-"

"I can only control bugs," I quickly said, "I could probably make it so that a car or PRT van can control bugs but…"

"You don't have a license," Gallant guess.

"No I don't," I confirmed. "Wait, can't you build another one for Clockblocker," I asked Kid Win.

"That…the thing about tinkers is that we're the ones who have to maintain the stuff we build. So if we build the whole team armor, weapons, and vehicles, we have to maintain them ourselves because we are the only ones who understand it. So if I make more I make more work for myself. Also, the cost to make my hover board, just the battery costed around a thousand dollars to make, now imagine the battery for the hover bike and then all the components, how much would that cost?"

"…do I want to know?"

"You don't, Gallant managed to pay for a quarter of it so he has part ownership on the condition that he uses it only when he's on duty."

"Holy crap, how much did you have saved up," I asked him.

"That…its…I'll tell you later," Gallant said. "Normally we reveal our identities to teammates but that's after its official."

"Oh okay, so how does things work for tinkers," I asked as we came in front of an elevator.

"One sec," Kid Win said as he walked forward took off his visor, obviously not facing me, and did what I think was a retinal scan. After that we were inside the elevator. "Like Piggot said, it's a job," Kid Win began, "for tinkers, besides fighting crime we make stuff. We have complete freedom to make whatever we want with the budget provided by the PRT. Naturally because they are funding our projects they have rights to whatever we make while we get credited for it. Sort of like the scientist and researchers working for corporations." the elevator opened.

"Welcome to wards HQ," Vista said raising her hands up as she presented the room. I walked in and looked around. I had already been here as a clone in Sophia's view of the world. But actually seeing it in person… I couldn't help it, "I'm going to be a hero," I said out loud looking around.

"Heh Heh Heh," a boy near the console chuckled. "well then hero, welcome to the wards, I'm Clockblocker," he introduced himself wearing his helmet this time, no he didn't remove it. "You seriously thought a bunch of cosplayers were capes?"

"The lady at the front told me to go there and everyone acted like it was normal," I quickly explained, thankful my mask was on.

"It's still hilarious," he laughed. "But still, the fact that you got a bunch of roaches together and scared the crap out of everyone was even better!"

"I was given permission!"

"I knooooooow," he laughed, "that's what so great about it! Aw man, you should have seen Piggots face when it got out that we had a roach problem, hahaha" he kept laughing.

"Her face?"

"Yeah, she was pissed," he said. Oh shit.

"Relax," Gallant said tapping my shoulder with a little weight. "don't take it personally, she dislikes capes in general. The bug problem just exacerbated it." THEN WHY IS SHE CHARGE OF US!

"Huhuuu," Vista shivered, "don't remind me, I practically live here," she said.

"Same," Kid Win said.

"You guys do know I can fix that right," I asked, "just set up bucket or dumpster somewhere with pesticide or poison and I can have the bugs kill themselves that way."

"I thought you were a bug girl," Clockblocker said.

"I lean more towards spiders," I answered.

"Speaking of which, did you seriously make this," pulled up my silk shirt from the table next to him.

"Partly, I had a bunch black widows make it for me in the basement."

"…you mean…You have an army of spiders in your basement," Vista asked.

"Yep, right now I have them making me a spare shirt," I answered. They were all silent as they stared at me.

"Fucking tinkers," Clockblocker muttered putting my shirt down while shaking his heads. "Oh, I can see it now," He put his arms, dramatically framing the room with it, "an army of spiders just dangling on top of our heads with silk everywhere as decoration."

"…Please don't say that," Vista quickly begged.

"Yeah, if anything I'll keep them under the beds," for the second time everyone was silent while Vista turned and gave me a horrified look, well her eyes were hidden but her mouth spoke volumes. "Kidding! But seriously, what's going to happen to me?"

"Did you sign already?"

"Yeah, that first sheet that confirmed my intentions."

"Well, then, let me be the first to say, "Welcome to Hell," newbie" Clockblocker said. "it's a month of prep work. Basic medical training, CPR and crap, basic self-defense, by-the-book procedures, memorizing Brockton Bays map all over again. And then, on top of all that, you get taught manners, you go through the PRT handbook on what to tell the press, how you dress, what not to do in public, blah blah blah. Its hell. There's a week of testing your powers to the fullest extent with us a team and then another week working with the PRT about the procedures they do and how not to mess them up, it's a different kind of hell."

"…Why did I sign the paper," I said shaking my head.

"We all made that mistake," Gallant laughed out causing everyone to laugh, myself included.

"So where do I set up?"

"The table, give me a sec," Kid Win quickly put the container with the gloves on the table and left in the direction of his lab.

"Okay," I said as set my container on the table and my bag on the floor and then looked up to see the container vista was holding on the table. "So…what do you guys do when you're not out on patrol?"

"We take turns babysitting this piece of junk," Clockblocker said tapping the console he was on, "it's basically a string phone we use to monitor whoever is on patrol and maybe tell the troopers stuff."

"It also monitors police broadband and emergency lines for parahuman activity for us to respond to," Vista explained from where she sat on the couch.

"But we got people paid to do that, this is just glorified babysitting for no reason," he whined.

"Other than that," Gallant continued, "we have homework, studying, and training in the gym."

"There's also a small kitchen, we each have our own room for sleeping and two bathrooms" Kid Win said loudly as he walked back into the room, "and a TV with the phantom tinker console for when we want to play games. We still have the buy the games though."

"Phantom tinker console?"

"You know, the phantom console, only its tinker made," he explained carrying a small tool box "I mean with your programming you probably have a few console processors together to make a super computer, right?"

"…I should probably mention I'm not a gamer."

"Wha-really," Kid win asked with a surprised look despite the visor. "but you have a power glove, the Nintendo, and NIA of all things."

"OH! This is all stuff my dad got for free when a worker he knew committed murder-suicide when someone made fun of his favorite cape."

"…Jesus," Vista said.

"Yeah, people take their capes seriously."

"Wait which cape," Clockblocker asked.

"Really?" Gallant asked him.

"Hey I'm curious."

"Photon Mom," I replied.

"HAH!" he laughed, before he froze a cushion that was thrown at him. "EY!"

"Oh well, I brought this," he said lifting the box. "I'd let you borrow my multi-tool but it takes time to learn how to use it."

"Thanks, its fine," I smiled underneath my mask. "Um you mind doing the phone?"

"Is that fine?"

"Well it's not tinker tech, surprisingly, and you did say it was like a normal phone so it shouldn't matter."

"Wait, she's not a tinker," Clockblocker asked.

"Not a hardware one, she's leans more towards software," Kid Win replied. "But if the towers are anything to go buy, the possibility is still there."

"Huh, wait, what do you call people who tinker with biology, just curious."

"Wetware tinker, that's pretty much covers tinkers who mostly deal with organics and chemicals," He replied "there's a few, but they mostly moved to the other side of the world, away from Bonesaw."

"Ugh don't remind me," I said, "I still have nightmares thinking about her being interested in my tech."

"...Fuck that would actually be scary," Clockblocker said.

"No kidding, and she already has mechanical spiders," Vista followed up.

"I read the reports on the ones they managed to capture in Aurora," Kid Win said shaking his head, "its biomechanical and its more of homunculus instead of spider. It's made with all sorts of tissues, some animal, mostly human, and they think the memory, or whatever she calls it, uses human brain tissue."

"…like I said, nightmares," I replied as I got to work putting back together the camera while Kid Win worked on my phone. "That's pretty cool."

"Thanks," he smiled. He was pretty fast.

"What do you plan on doing," Vista asked, I glanced at her, she had a text book in her hands and some notes…wait where…oh right space manipulation. "On the team, I mean?"

"I'm hoping to support you guys, maybe scout a head with my bugs, run interference, and snipe from the roof times with a whatever the PRT gives me and then wing it from there. My powers aren't really that good in close combat at least not with gloves I have."

"Oh, you might want to think about what kind of gun you want to use," Vista said, "the PRT might just give you a bow and arrow if you're not careful. Maybe a stun baton."

"Seriously?"

"The Youth Guard takes this very seriously. Also, if we have someone going out with a gun that might just inspire other capes to go with guns. Can you imagine what someone like Crusader can do with guns?" Crusader, a guy in E88 who could make ghost clones of himself, his weapon of choice is a very long iron spear.

"Wait, why doesn't he?"

"Because he could kill tons of people pretty easily, especially if he doesn't have to worry about return fire. Quickest way to a kill order." Vista answered. "But the point is, if you bring a gun, they bring a gun. You bring a grenade, they bring a grenade."

"If one side escalates, the other sides does too," I realized out loud.

"Yep. Its why our local flying brick goes out in skintight suit."

"Couldn't he just go with a shield or something?"

"He tried," Clockblocker said, "but it kept being used against him, messes him up when he flies and since he's a brick, a lot of people just tend to cut off his hands. He says it's annoying."

"Oh wow," I grimaced at the thought, I was-

"Done," Kid Win said as he turned on my phone.

"Wow that was quick," I commented.

"Thatswhatshesaid- **BOOM!** " Clockblocker yelled standing up. "I've been waiting forever for a setup like that," he cheered, forcing him to dodge more cushions.

"Grow up," Gallant said as Kid Win shook his head, Clockblocker laughing the entire time, and as soon as I got what he implied I blushed, thankful I still had my mask on.

"Sorry he's always like that," Vista said but I could see her trying to hide a smile.

"Figured. Done," I said holding my camera. "now the gloves."

"Can I help on this one or…"

"It should be fine with the iPod glove, I'll do the power glove," I said collecting the necessary things.

"Cool."

"Look at you two bonding," Clockblocker said, "next thing you know, we'll never get them out the lab, if you know wha-hey!" He yelled as he dodged a book.

"Wait, do I get my own lab," I asked.

"Probably," Kid Win said with slight blush, "privacy and all that, but what I'm a bit worried about is whether we'll share the budget for tinkers or not."

"Oh."

"You jerk," Vista said.

"Huh?" he let out in confusion, before he realized what he said, "OH I DIDN'T-," he quickly began but I put a hand up.

"It's fine, I know what you mean, but if that's the case then I know how to work on a shoestring budget," I said.

"I noticed," Clockblocker said tapping one of my fiberglass plates.

"Right, and besides, all I do is control bugs. At the moment my best idea is hooking up a remote-controlled helicopter with a camera and a way to control my swarm."

"Why not just make your own drone," Vista asked.

"My specialty is controlling bugs, building stuff to control them and keep pace with the bugs is a challenge. But if the PRT buys me a drone I can modify it. And done," I said. I held up the power gloves.

"Same," Kid Win said holding up the other glove.

"So," Clockblocker began "do you want to suit up and go with us on patrol?"

"Wait, can I, but I thought-"

"The paper was for intent," Vista said, "until the official papers are signed with consent from both you and your dad, you are known as a rogue. Some rogues work with us, and we just go on patrol. We're mostly on our own in safe routes, but in different areas, like E88 or ABB we have one or two Protectorate heroes supervise us."

"Also, you don't have to submit your tech just yet," Kid Win explained, "think of it as a sample."

"Cool, can I suit up?"

"Can I join you?" Clockblocker asked, obviously joking.

"Sure," I answered, "Just let me get a few spiders and cockroaches on you and try out a new attack pattern that is supposed to obscure your vision."

"…On one hand I really want to risk that, on the other…I have feeling I'll get nightmares," he replied.

"I'll take you to the girl's bathroom," Vista volunteered.

"Thanks."

* * *

"You honestly do look like a professional cosplayer," Clockblocker said as I walked back to the main room.

"Great," I muttered as I walked to the table and picked up my gun. "Will the paintball gun be a problem?"

"Can it kill someone," Gallant asked.

"Maybe if I aim for the throat at point blank," I said.  
"Well…" he let out not expecting that as my answer, "maybe not do that?"

"I'll try my best," I answered with soft chuckle, "by the way, what happened to my neck guard?"

"Snapped, they thought it was some sort of tinker metal or something and when they tested it, the thing snapped it," Clockblocker answered. So they tested my stuff…meh it was annoying anyway.

"They'll pay for it, don't worry," Gallant said, "well, up to the roof we go," he said happily as Vista walked to the elevator.

"Oh wait, are we flying?"

"Yeah, you guys are," Kid Win said, "I finished my patrol early to confirm you're a tinker. So I got console duty next," he said taking Clockblocker's spot.

"Since you're not going out, can I-"

"No, you can't borrow my board," Kid Win quickly said.

"Damn!" he coursed as he joined the duo, "Everyone can move but me and now I have to give Gallant big ol' bear hug if I want to get anywhere or bribe Vista with sweets."

"Have fun," he said.

"Oh, where do we-" I began but….

"Elevator," Vista quickly said, right, "or if you want the stairs I can just shorten the distance."

"OOOOW! I'll take the stairs then! I always wanted to see what that was like," I quickly answered.

"Huh! Oh Um, you sure? I mean it takes a while with my powers and the elevator is a lot faster-"

"Alright what's up? You guys have been acting really weird after asked about Shadow Stalker," I knew they were worried about how I would react, so I might as well get it over with.

"Well…promise you won't get mad," She asked.

"…what?"

"Sup, bitches," I heard the all too familiar voice that I was glad not to hear for the past two months. I turned to see Shadow Stalker walking in from a door that I can only assume leads to the stairs or something. I saw her, still dressed in armor with a small cloak, crossbows not on her person, ballistic mask with a stern expression. I was mad at her and this would be the first time I found out, time to sell it. "You the new tinker?" She directed at me. Like I said, I was angry that she of all people still seemed carefree, a fucking traitor to her team, and was still hero.

"…You're Shadow Stalker," I accused loudly.

"Wait…I know this voice."

"How are you a hero, Sophia!"

"…HEBERT? You're the new tinker," she questioned. I couldn't see her face, she kept her mask on; she snorted, "heh, small world," she seemed to laugh.

"You guys let her be a hero," I hissed at everyone else, they were all quiet for the third time.

"Oh, get over it, Hebert," She said walking to the couch.

"You're probably the reason I have powers!"

"Probably," she admitted with a shrug, "but hey I did you a favor, what's your specialty anyway?"

"A FAVOR? You bullied me! You poured shit on me! YOU DESTROYED MY MOM'S FLUTE!"

"…and? What's your point?" She asked as she lied on the couch.

"…" I was expecting her to be…more aggressive or something, give me a way to justify using force on her, but she was really calm for some odd reason, and it was pissing me off and I had my dad's temper. I was already mad at her so it was easy to get pass faking it to it being real. "ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?"

"Taylor," Gallant began, probably trying to calm me down.

"HOW THE FUCK DO YOU GUYS DEAL WITH HER?"

"Honestly? We don't," Clockblocker said, "She's pain in the ass to deal with."

"Look who's talking, out of everyone on the team, you still can't move your fat ass," Sophia responded, as she took her mask off and pulled out her phone and from inside the couch's spine, she pulled out an unopened bag of chips while hissing.

"Hey I'm ripped!"

"Sure you are," she replied nonchalantly as she shook her hand and opened the bag.

"But I am," he whined.

"Uh huh," she said not caring at all, "so what's your specialty, loser?"

"BUGS, you fucking happy!"

"What," she said as she looked at me with neutral expression.

"I control bugs!"

"…Wait, just that," she asked with a confused expression.

"Yeah what of it?"

She stared at me for a few seconds before her face contorted and she started laughing. Okay what the fuck is going on?

"Wha-what's so funny?"

"You, hahaha, out of all the things you could have gotten, you got a tinker specialty for controlling bugs, that's the dumbest thing I ever heard! It's funny as hell! But you know…its suits a spineless worm like you."

"Hey-!"

"One sec," she said lifting her index fingers while texting, "I gotta tell Emma about this."

"WHAT!"

"Sophia-" Gallant along with everyone else about to pitch in.

"Jeez it's just a joke," Sophia said with her eyes rolling, "Piggy already has me on a collar," she lifted her hand to reveal a bracelet, one that doesn't mess with her costume but if I had to guess I'd say it was a shock bracelet or something. "She made it very clear I was on thin ice."

"You're a horrible bitch," I said with glare, regretting I had my mask on.

"I know~" she replied with smirk before she began eating her chips. I was angry.

"Can I please just sic a swarm on her," She snickered.

"Go ahead," she dared me, "the second you try it, I'll get off this couch and beat you within an inch of your life," she causally threatened me…. I know she would do it. But still…

"She gave me permission," I said, turning on my gloves, then I felt a very heavy hand on my shoulder.

"Let it go," Gallant said, "She's not worth it."

"Says the guy made of daddy's money," Sophia said in between crunches. I could feel him slightly wince at that, I felt it through his fingers.

"C'mon," he said, brushing the comment off.

"Friggin' bi-"

"VISTA," Gallant said loudly, "language."

"I'm old enough to cuss!"

"Sure you are brat," She did a quick turn at Sophia who continued texting and eating chips while shaking her trembling fist.

"Let's go," Gallant repeated shaking his as the Elevator let out a few beeps and opened to reveal Aegis. He looked at the group, mostly Vista's face, then gave a good over, then at Sophia who was casually texting and eating chips.

"Ah…" he said, I'm guessing figuring out the situation. "For what it's worth," he directed at me, "no one likes her."

"Meh," Sophia let out with a shrug as she ate another chip, "everyone here is a loser."

"Let's go," Gallant practically guiding me into the elevator, yet oddly enough I was fine with it, my rage just-ah…his power….

I shoved his hand off and turned to walk in the direction Sophia was in.

"Whoa-hey-" Aegis began, pretty sure noticing how I was walking with a purpose, but Gallant stopped him. Sophia looked at me as approached. She kept looking at me, I couldn't tell what she was going for but she clearly wasn't intimidated. She got another chip and bit it in half, simply enjoying the CRUNCH it made. I picked up my backpack and calmly walked back to the group; there's no way in hell I'm leaving my stuff in the same room with Sophia. We got in the elevator, minus Aegis, and before the door's closed, Sophia had this to say.

"Welcome to hell, loser," she shouted out. When Clockblocker said it, I knew he was joking, but when Sophia say's it, I can't help but feel that she really means it.

For the first time…I think I'm actually starting to regret my decision to join the Wards.

"Is she always like this, here I mean?"

"She has good days and she has bitch days, this is the good day. I swear it's like she kills someone or something," Clockblocker said…Shiiiiit, is this how I'll know she killed someone with her real arrows? Because she's in some sort of post-murder afterglow?

"C'mon that's not funny," Vista said, I nodded in agreement.

"Hey Gallant, what did you do to me," I asked, it was pretty weird how I suddenly calmed down without feeling it.

"My power. Firing lasers that change people's emotions, that's still my thing, and I can control how much of a "punch" it packs. I can give people low dosages, like "pinch" worth and compile it over time. Its only harmful if I up the "punch" or force a person to experience various emotions in a short amount of time. Also…I can see and, sort-of, sense people's emotions." Sense? That's new.

"Sort of?"

"It…to me it feels as if someone's watching you, and you don't know who or what exact emotion it is until you see it."

"An empath set, I can see why you wouldn't want people to know, hence the tinker thing…is that how Sophia's still alive?"

"Partly," he admitted. "I know your angry, sorry I can't turn my power off," he quickly apologized, "but it's not that bad. I know… I know things happened between you two but, that's only her. She can be…well,"

"A queen bitch," Clockblocker offered.

"Mmhmm," Vista agreed.

"But she can pull her weight when she has to." Gallant continued "Also, there's us; we don't expect you to get along with her, or even be at the point we are with her, but just know, you're not alone. We don't allow bullying here."

"And, you know," Vista beamed in, "we're here for you."

"…thanks," I said.

"Your welcome!" Vista beamed with a smile.

"Yep, we all have to deal with how insufferable Sophia is. Oh yeah, don't tell anyone. PRT takes identities very seriously."

"I just hope she doesn't tell anyone about me," I said.

"Again, we take that very seriously," Gallant said, "we will not excuse her is she does that."

"Speaking of which, what's your cape name," Vista asked.

"Haven't decided, I was thinking Skitter, but I'm not mover. Plus, I think single vowel name would be better, a lot easier to say in a pinch."

"Then Skitter it is! Don't worry about the mover part," Clockblocker said, as there was ding.

"I've waited too long for this," Gallant said as the door parted to reveal the roof. Outside was a Armsmaster with his halberd on his back, holding a pad of some sort in front of him.

"Wow," I said as I walked forward with the group, Armsmater turning, giving us a nod of acknowledgement before he turned back to do whatever it is he was doing.

When I heard hover bike, when _I_ suggested it, I was expecting a bike with a propeller on the front and on the back or something like that. But what was in front of me was still pretty cool, it was jet-ski like vehicle on top of what looks like a metal frame. It was wide, it had a spot to sit, also a had space for people to stand it seems, it almost looks like a cross between jet ski and those floating boat things from Star Wars where the jedi escapes the sandpit, only like a quarter of the size and had a nose of a Zamboni. It was well detail were really well made. Did Kid Win really do this?

"This is awesome," I marveled at the vehicle, imagining it floating. From the front to the back, it looked a bit like a Zamboni front while the back was unmistakably like a jet ski, the jet ski seat seemed a little lower with walls on the sides, despite that it seemed like it had space to stand, it had two tanks attached to the back underneath the seats, easy access I think, I wonder what they were for. As for as I know Kid Win's board doesn't have tanks, so both his creation use anti-gravity for sure, maybe some form of propulsion? As I walked around admiring the paint job of a horse with wings!

"You like it," Gallant asked with mirth in his voice

"It looks awesome. Not a bike but it's awesome."

"See, it's not just me," Clockblocker said, "the thing looks like an overcomplicated jet ski! Hell, if it wasn't for the seat I'd say it was modeled after the kiddy trains they use at the mall."

"True I guess, it's not a real bike, but its mine," he said, "my steed, Pegasus."

"Did Kid Win really make this? Painting and all," I asked as I kept inspecting it, what? My tinker senses were flaring, or rather highlighting the controls.

"Nah he was against the horse with wings painting, so we had the job outsourced under close scrutiny," Gallant answered.

"You have to admit, its pretty girly," Clockblocker said.

"I think it's cute," Vista said.

"See," Clockblocker pointed at vista.

"But if you put in a regular horse, it wouldn't make too much sense," Vista argued.

"Enough," Armsmaster said, apparently having had enough of their squabble. "Gallant last test before I officially hand you the key," he said putting the pad in front of Gallant, who accepted it, but Armsmaster didn't let go. Gallant up to meet Armsmaster's visor. "This is a huge responsibility and, as of yet, has no safety features. Do not make me regret this," he said sternly.

"Yes sir," He said. Satisfied, Armsmater nodded and let go, then he turned to me, won't lie, I flinched bit as he approached.

"You're Taylor Hebert, the new tinker, right?" He asked sizing me up.

"Yes," I answered.

"I saw the interview and I had them do a test on your suit, I apologize for that, and I'll personally pay you back the neck guard," he said.

"Um thanks," was all I could say, he nodded.

"From what I can tell, you seem to be able to modify objects in order to use them to control your…sorry I can't think of word that fits bugs, spiders, worms, snails and crabs in the same criteria."

"I-I usually just use bugs and critters."

"I see," he said, not smiling or anything, "you got a name?"

"She says Skitter for now," Clockblocker answered for me as Gallant seem to be turning his body a bit with the pad in front of him while vista stared at him with her arms crossed slightly shaking her head.

"Skitter," he began crossing his arms, "I'm sure I don't have to tell you how dangerous your bugs are, considering you are carrying around an Epipen," I shook my head.

"I know, an allergic reaction isn't really something I can avoid, but I can at least prepare for it. I also have attack patterns that the critters are programed to follow in order to avoid attacking the arteries, eyes, cavities, and bugs with venom are to withhold their venom and I've seen them do that."

"That includes bee?"

"Yes, they can sting without injecting their venom and some even survive," I replied.

"Is that all?"

"Well, if I take the safety off, then the critters with nonlethal venom will attack, some will try to block the cavities and they attack the, um, the neither regions that they are programed to avoid when the safeties are on."

"…that's not what I meant. You are aware of where bugs are usually found?"

"Yep, you won't believe the places you can find them," I said, then I realized something, "Oh crap, speaking of which," I quickly turn my gloves off, I had forgotten to do it, "they drain the batteries," I explained.

"Figured," he said, "but you do know where bugs are found right? They are full of germs and bacteria. The bugs alone are already a biological weapon, add the bacteria and germs and lets even add viruses for the fun it, that makes it worse. While we are not law enforcement we are given permission to assist in the duties of an officer, this includes apprehending criminals and protecting civilians, but that also means we are held accountable for our actions. Excessive force is something capes have been dealing with even before the Protectorate was formed. People like heroes, but they don't like it when a fight smashes their window.

"Gallant has been to court three times when he accidently put too much force into his shots or simply shot a criminal at on undesirable condition where the criminal sustained crippling injuries. Clockblocker, two times when he _forgot_ that he left frozen paper in public spaces, one of those resulting in a civilian totaling a car and breaking his arm in the process. Vista has been to court five times, two on account of excessive force when she accidently dropped the criminals from a high enough elevation, one more when she accidently trapped a criminal in a dome without any way to receive air, suffocating him to death, he was dead for a minute and three seconds. The rest are from property damage when she manipulated space without a thought as to where the objects on the space would go. Imagine how getting an allergic reaction or a disease or a virus from your bugs will be treated as? Can you imagine what kind of lawsuit that would be?"

"I…I didn't think of that," I replied earnestly to his cold words. I honestly didn't think of that, I could spread bacteria or sleeping powder or something with my bugs or simply have mosquito or bees swallow sleeping agents or something and regurgitate it on people. Heck I could use itching powder and it would be just as effective as having bugs on them. Why didn't I think of this!

Armsmaster let breath of air out of his nose and then he placed a hand on my shoulder.

"This is why the Wards exist. You made the right choice joining. We will help you realize your potential but we do it in a manner that is safe for everyone. Granted there are cases that warrant "force" and you will learn what they are. It takes time and patience, and thinking on your feet. When you go on patrol, I want you to think about how to use your powers in a fight and avoid "excessive force." If you can't avoid it then try to limit it. Understood?" I nodded, "Alright. Next time, when we have more time, I'd like to talk to you about spider silk, I'll admit, I am intrigued by the idea using silk as a semiconductor and a sensor. On that note, expect a video call from Dragon later on."

"Wait, Dragon, as in the best tinker in the world Dragon, will call me?"

"She takes interest in tinkers with specialties revolving around software. Thanks to her specialty, she is actually one of the view people on earthwho can understand the work of other tinkers and expand on it. From what I understand, the degree of understanding varies from tech to tech; software seems to be something that increases her odds of understanding the tech."

"I see," was all I said, Dragon was going to talk to me…oh wait, "Um, are you and Dragon mad about me liking Sphere?" He shrugged.

"Sphere was a good man, had the endbringer not attacked he could have done amazing things. And like you pointed out, he is good example of a tinker's potential, even his current persona represents what we do. Those blades? From what Dragon found, going over his submitted designs, those blades would have actually been used to maintain the flora in the eco system in his dome blue prints."

"So…basically its sharp Weed Wacker or a lawnmower?" He nodded, "Jeez, what were the designs for the food processing plant?"

"You don't want to know," Armsmaster said shaking his head.

"Oh that's encouraging," I said, just imagining what sort of contraption Mannequin would use to process humans.

"It is what it is," he said, then he turned "Gallant, you passed it yet?"

"Yes sir," Gallant said handing the pad back. Armsmaster skimmed it, then nodded. He took something from a compartment in his suit I think and handed it to Gallant. It looked like an electronic key, Gallant grabbed it, but Armsmaster didn't let go, "I won't make you regret this."

"Be sure you don't," and he let go. "I made sure the calibrations were correct, everything is working in perfect order, and the energy consumption is as efficient as possible. Should you find anything that seems out of place or simply isn't supposed to happen, you let console know right away."

"Yes sir," he said. Armsmaster just nodded.

"Then get to work," and with that he turned and moved to the elevator.

Nobody said anything until he was inside.

"…Now what," I asked.

"Now we get to work," Clockblocker said clapping his hands together and rubbing them, he looked at me. "Gallant and I would offer you a ride on the hover bike, but you either have to be able to fly or get trained to even ride it. We're in the sky, not the sea, nothing personal," he quickly said. "Let's go," he said walking up the small steps of the metal frame and getting on the vehicle. "Gallant, the fly-knight, lets go!" He repeated slapping the cushy-looking chair.

"…About that…" Gallant began. "Yyyyyyyou're not the one ridding with me today."

"What?" Clocblocker scuffed, "we talked about…" he paused, "…You sonnavabitch…you told her."

"Not my fault…we're on again."

"GOD DAMNIT GALLANT!" He yelled getting off the bike while throwing his hands up. "I was waiting for this too!"

"It's out of my hands," he said with a shrug.

"I know your whipped but c'mon dude! Maximum effort, man!"

"I'm not whipped," he calmly responded.

"You're the very definition of whipped!"

"I'm not," he defended with a shrug.

"Heeyyy~" a girl called out, I turned to the direction of what I'm sure was the direction the hospital was in, why? Because landing next to us it was Alexandria Jr herself, Glory Girl and according to the cape paparazzi's she fairies her sister, Panacea, everywhere. Glory girl is a white girl with just the right amount of tan and wore a white one-piece dress that reached down to the center of her thighs, she wore white shorts too, and white over the shoulder cape, and topped it off with a gold tiara with spikes on it, almost like the statue of liberty, nothing that hid her identity. "How's my knight in shining armor?"

"I'm-"

"Yeah, Idon'tcare, show me this cool new thing! How does it work?" She quickly floated to the hover bike. "C'mon, tell me what it does!" I was surprised at how easily she brushed Gallant off. I knew Clockblocker said that she had him whipped but… wow. Gallant walked up the frame next to his floating girlfriend.

"It's a state of the art hover bike, it has a top speed-"

"It's looks like a mall train," she interrupted.

"…it has a top speed of eighty miles an hour," he continued as if he wasn't interrupted, "it can pull my weight and," he walked over to the control, put in the key and turned, the vehicle purred to life. "Wait for it," he pressed a glowing button, the walls on the sides of the seat folded down to its respective side, "in addition to passengers I can airlift injured civilians to a hospital." He pressed the button again and the walls came up. "It has two tanks of containment foam," he pointed behind the seat, "plus a spare."

"Containment foam, what for?"

"for containment," he answered with a shrug. "There's two exit points, a movable nozzle at the front and," he walked behind the seat and pulled a handle I didn't notice; on closer inspection looks like a gun-mist-jet for a hose, attached to an extendable metal cable (a hose), "this, for the passenger to aim while I'm driving. With this I can carpet bomb or dog fight with my passenger."

"Where's the extra tank?"

"Oh here," he lifted the chair up, and it opened with a soft his, "we can store a bunch of stuff here: med kits, lunch, spare foam tank, and it has compartments so nothing will get crushed. There's also some space upfront."

"Oh cool," she said as she smiled at the insides of the chair.

"Yeah, Kid Win is still working on putting something on the bike's handles so I can focus my laser-"

"Sh sh sh," Glory Girl shushed him, "the story's over now," she said.

"Wha…why?"

"You just told the best part," she said with a smile. "Can you imagine how many shopping bags I can fit in here? I mean you're like giant purse now, one that can fly over traffic!"

"Oh, I can't-"

"No no, purses don't talk," she said as she kept staring at it, no doubt imagining what she would put in there. Yikes.

"Hey Gallant, can I store my backpack in there," I asked.

"Yeah, go-"

"Sorry what," Glory Girl cut in loudly. I know what she wanted and, oddly enough, I couldn't refuse her for some reason.

"I-can I store my backpack in your purse while we're on patrol?"

"Mmm," she thought about it, "Yeah, sure, go ahead." I saw Gallant's armored shoulders sag. I felt for him now. I never would have thought that she was like this, I mean in public she's like New Wave's star child! I never would have imagined her like this, plus, it's like she has this aura or something around her that makes it hard to wrong her…mostly because she's Alexandria Jr, someone who can scrape me against the floor anytime she wants! Gallant, my sympathies.

"Ahrem! Ahem!" Clockblocker coughed, "-WH-hem! WHHH-EMP! WHIPPED! Ugh! I think I'm coming down whi-IPPED," he faked sneezed. Gallant let out a sigh.

"By the way which Ward are you again," Glory Girl asked me with a confused look, "OH, I know! Shadow Stalker, right?"

"…"

* * *

I won't lie, it was a bummer not to ride the hover bike, but traveling via-Vistas-power was still pretty cool! We didn't have to run or jump, we kept walking around while her power shortens the distance between one building's edge to another so that it only takes a single step. There was no creaking sounds or anything, no weird elongation noises you hear on cartoons. Sure, you'd hear how a strong breeze or a bird reacts to it, but that was it.

After Vista was done "pulling" it she would let go and the thing would stretch back into place.

"Holy crap, have you ever thought about giving Jack Slash a run for his money," I asked while looking behind me. For a second I thought I blinked when I saw the thing snap back, but I didn't, it just happened instantly at a speed I couldn't really process.

"I thought about it," she beamed with a smile, "but I distort space, not exactly the objects themselves." She explained. "I guess if I got the first "shot" I could beat him. But even then, after I "shoot" he can just "shoot" me faster and then, you know, my powers don't really work on people. Manton Effect. I probably wouldn't be able to cut him directly. OH! BUT, if I had the time I could definitely give a hard push, ya know?"

"I understand," I already knew about her crush with Gallant, not that they knew. I knew she was really upset that Gallant didn't need to rely on her powers anymore and not only that, right now he was keeping pace with us (going slow or hovering around us) on his hover bike while his girlfriend rode with him. I don't know how it is for guys but I guess being taken on a hover bike would be pretty exciting if it was with your results? She was feeling down because she didn't feel needed anymore and because she was jealous of Gallant's girlfriend and seemed to be enjoying himself. What was I, "the rookie who didn't know anything," to do? Well, Vista still seemed to be insecure about her age and how she is viewed by everyone. I appealed to that, I looked up to her…I guess I became her bitch a bit…better not act that way around Shadow Stalker. "Wait, what if you made surfaces slippery?"

"I little hard but if you give me time I could do it, everything I do with my powers takes time, plus the Manton Effects limits what I can do."

"Sigh," Clockblocker said out loud, "the girls with me talking about how flexible their powers are, traitor in the sky celebrating with his girlfriend, I'm all lonely."

"Your powers are pretty cool," I said getting the hint, "honestly I wish I had your powers." Not a lie.

"Yeah well…crap I don't know if I'd trade you," he said, "but I would trade it for Vista's any day."

"But it's cool, you can freeze things in time!"

"Yeah, but its touch base," he said, "does me no good when I have to fight villains who don't have to get close. Plus, I have no idea how long it last. When I tag things, it stays frozen anywhere between thirty seconds to ten minutes, and no consistency. The only good thing is that I can choose what to freeze."

"Can't you, I don't know, freeze the space vista manipulates in place or use So-Shadow Stalker to shoot a net connected to a string at a person."

"Already do for the first, its why we usually patrol together. For the second, Shadow Stalker says off her aim, also that would require her being next to me the whole time. We…uh… we don't have the best relationship and she really doesn't like being tied down, if you know what I mean." He joked, "but in all seriousness, she likes to move a lot. In fact, despite the crossbow, she likes to go in headfirst melee, which makes me question why she doesn't just go in with a baton but whatever, every sadist to their own right? And, we already tried it, villains actually take advantage of it because it means, Shadow Stalker and I are in one place," he explained. "Also, if we leave a long string or something like that lying around it could be used against us," he put his right arm in front of me and with his left hand pulled a sheet of paper off his armor. So that's where he keeps it "It's why I stick with these, it fits my scheme and it's easy to spot, you know, if you don't run at it from the sides. With Vista's help, it becomes bigger and she can sort of wrap it around people."

"Can you freeze things, like, I don't know if a bird was tied to a string could you freeze it by grabbing the string?"

"Depends, probably could tag it…if my powers worked at "peak efficiency," but days like that are rare."

"What do you mean," if powers worked at peak efficiency? This was new to me.

"Oh right," he said slapping the paper back on to his armor, it just looked like armor, as if the paper was never there. "I guess you wouldn't know. Vista want to take over," either he's lazy or he caught on.

"YEP! You see, capes," we just crossed another building, "have a trigger event, it's an event that gave us our power."

"Usually a crappy day," Clockblocker said, "a very crappy day," he expanded.

"The closer we are to whatever feelings or situation we were in that gave us our power, the better our powers work," Vista continued. "For me, the boost would be my powers working faster in an area I'm in even if people are around."

"For me, it's that my powers work a smidge faster when I tag someone and the power has a higher chance of being five minutes or longer. Also, you know, my power has a better shot at effecting interconnected things."

"Huh… what about tinkers?" And master/strangers.

"You tinker faster I guess or get better ideas," Clockblocker offered. "I honestly don't know and neither does Kid Win. Its different for everyone." They both stopped moving and talking while they grabbed their ear. Then they stood there.

"Guys," I asked.

"OH! Right," Vista pulled out something from a pocket in her armor/dress, an earpiece in a tiny bag. "Guys wait," she said, "Skitter doesn't have one," she ripped the bag, did something, I think turned it on, and handed it to me.

"Um testing?"

"Testing clear, this is console," I heard Kid Win say, "we got reports of dark smoke coming off an area near the warehouses, probable cape-" there was a shuffle and suddenly I had to resist the urge to throw the ear piece away.

"ITS FUKING GRUE! I KNOW IT," it was Sophia shouting. Another shuffle, and Kid Win was back.

"Yeah, it's probably the undersiders, you guys are the closes. I already gave directions to Gallant just follow him. Careful of the dogs and call us if you need backup."

"Undersiders," I asked, I already looked them up but besides one guy generating darkness and girl named Tattle I was still pretty clueless as to who they were.

"They're small time villains, a master that controls mutated dogs, a shaker who can generate darkness, another master who gives the body involuntary twitches or spasms, and a girl who goes by tattletale, power unknown but has a silver tongue, probably thinker," Kid Win explained.

"Wait, the bay has mutant dogs?"

"We got a walking acid trip too," Clockblocker said.

"Alright," Gallant's voice was in my ear, I turned to look at him to see Glory Girl already flying, "I can actually see it from up here, Ward Patrol group, along with New Wave's Glory girl and rogue Skitter pursuing, over."

"Copy that," Kid Win said.

"alright, time for some actions," I heard Clockblocker cheer from both being in front of me and my earpiece.

"You ready," Vista asked.

"I think so," I said with a nod, my first engagement.

"It's your first time out in costume, right," Gallant asked, "also there's a switch for the ear piece, it's thick so you should feel it, it doubles for volume control and shut off, when the volume hits zero it shuts off. We each have a few to work with rogues."

"Yeah, it's my first time out in costume," not my first time using my powers on capes. Jeez I was hoping for muggers or something, I didn't want my first physical fight to be against parahumans with dark clouds and mutant dogs. Either way it was time to turn the gloves on.

"Then let's pop that cherry!" Clockblocker cheered making me want to smack him upside the head. "Don't worry Skitter, we'll slowly ease you in!"

"Thank you for volunteering for console duty on the weekend," another person's voice cut in, a man I didn't know, "Clockblocker. Deputy Director Renick out."

"…fuck."

* * *

Fuck.

"Stay close" Vista yelled as both she and Clockblocker ran together, I was behind them…fuck I should have done more than just power walking!

Vista didn't have time to bring both ends of the buildings together, so what she was doing is bring the rooftop of the building we were on as close as possible to the other building and we just jumped. She didn't seem to need to look at me so I guess she had some sort of tracker aspect to her powers, maybe? She said people affect her power because of the Manton Effect so maybe a side effect of that?

I didn't matter, I had my gloves turned on and my backpack on me, Gallant had given it to me before we started the chase, gallant has one radio tower and my laptop with him, I have my backpack with another one inside a box. Right not I was gathering as many bugs as I can, I guess collecting my gun and give me options. Half a block wasn't much but it was better than nothing.

"I got them!" Gallant said in the ear piece, "its seems like we guessed right, Grue's tactic is cover everything but the dogs' head when running away, I think Tattletale is with him. OH! He spotted Glory Girl and me, he's moving the dark smoke to obstruct our vision."

"Do you know what they are running from," Kid Win asked.

"Can't tell," he replied, "I don't see any other capes."

"I think I saw rune or someone flying, they turned tail when they saw us though," Glory girl answered.

"Crap! He's making the smoke split in two directions! Vista and Skitter go left, Glory Girl go right, and I'll double back with Clockblocker in case they did." He said already coming to pick clockblocker up.

"ABOUT TIME!" Clockblocker shouted.

"C'mon lets go," Vista said, and I nodded as I followed her. We ran rooftop to rooftop catching up with the smoke. The smoke was very dark, practically darkness itself, and it covered a huge area! I couldn't see what was inside, hell it could be a dud for all I know.

After chasing it I realized it was moving fast and the only reason we were catching up was because of Vista.

"Glory girl here, the smoke stopped."

"This is Vista, we're still chasing the darkness."

"This is Gallant, the smoke disappeared on our end, we're heading to you."

"What do you think they will do next, split into three smokes and double back," Clockblocker asked.

"Wha-what is that smoke anyway?" I huffed.

"Its fucking bullshit is what it is," I heard Shadow Stalker say.

"Shadow Stalker is the only ward who's been in it. Its blinding, muffles sound, blocks cameras and radio waves, according to Shadow Stalker it messes her powers and it sort of feels like being in water when she's not in her breaker form," Kid Win replied. "Armsmaster is working on something to create images with whatever vibration does pass through the smoke, but it's still in the works."

"IT FUCKING SHIT!"

"Radio waves," I muttered, "wait my bugs!" I said having a revelation. "Vista, hold my gun," she did as I pulled out my camera and turned it on, I had a bit of trouble attaching it on the run.

"What about your bugs," Shadow Stalker asked. "Did you break your tech already?"

"No, I have no idea how I control them, but it's not through sound or radio waves, hopefully I can see them in the dark smoke!"

"Wait can you," Kid Win asked.

"I worked fine back in the proving grounds before they foamed me" I said, having trouble changing commands while running.

"Shit that's right I need to look that video up," Shadow Stalker said. Bitch.

"Let's see if it works," I had the critters go into exploration mode. They will explore every surface within half a block of me. The dark smoke was to our left, Gallant and Glory girl flying above us, wow they caught up really fast. I turned to look and through the darkness I could see the bugs struggling to keep up.

"It works," I huffed out.

"You serious," Kid Win quickly asked.

"Yes! But right now my bugs are just exploring surfaces. I need to get them on the Undersiders!"

"Copy that, asking permission to fairy untrained Vista and untrained rogue, designation Skitter, on Pegasus" Gallant asked. A minute later there was a response.

"Approved," It was Armsmaster voice, "be careful with them."

"Yes sir, Glory Girl can you follow the smoke?"

"No problem!" Both Vista and I stopped and caught our breath as the hover bake came to us, more so me than her…fuck a girl younger than I was doing fine!

"THIS IS BULLSHIT! I trained a month to learn how to be a passenger," Clockblocker complained.

"Cope," Aegis said from the earpiece. "You guys need back up?"

"We're fine for now," Gallant said, "they're only small time anyway."

"Roger, send a shout if you need us. Miss Militia is already heading in your direction with a PRT van."

The hover bike hovered in front of us, "Vista in front of me Skitter behind Clockblocker." Vista and I ran to our spots, mind being the easier one to reach.

"FUCK! They split again," Glory girl yelled

"Follow one trail, we'll pick up the other one. Everyone ready?" We all responded yes as I clung to Clockblocker who clung to Gallant, "HOLD ON!" He shouted as the bike raised in the air and shot forward! It was fast and I honestly didn't care who was in front of me, I was holding for me dear life! Then it hit me. Crap my swarm!

"FUCK! Gallant we're leaving my bugs behind!"

"Can't you get more?"

"I can but my bugs take time to collect and follow the order," I responded, "if they get out of my range than I can't control them anymore!"

"What if we get in front of them?"

"Hopefully my bugs can keep up by then, and I might even get some on them if that's the case, but it still takes time. Maybe if we got them onboard the bike and then we can just drop them on top of whoever these guys are."

"Dowehaveto," Vista quickly said, obviously not liking the plan I came up with.

"Fucking tinkers," Clockblocker yelled, don't know if he meant me or Kid Win.

"First let's catch up, then we'll see, for now see what you can do," Gallant said.

"Alright!" I yelled.

This was not how I planned my day.

Whatever, I'll just do what I can!

* * *

 **Authors note**

Yep a fight next chap.

I don't know why by Taylor feeding an endbringer a spam sandwhich was pretty funny to me. Imagine how an interrogation would go!

I didn't really know how to do Glory Girl and Gallant Relationship so I based her a bit on my sister's relationship. She has three Exs and they are all psycho for her now, one still stalks her facebook, the other dumped his girlfriend when he thought he had a shot at getting back together with her, and the third...well I don't know about him but I think he's still after my sis. I think she abuses them to the point where they rely on her emotionally. That plus glory girl's aura should have a good effect. Kuudos if you got the two references, one is for an abridged anime, the other is from scrubs.

Shadow Stalker, when ever I see a fic where Sophia finds out that Taylor is joining the wards, she's either becomes overly aggressive or is teased until she gets sent to Juvie or something. I wanted something different and Sophia doesn't really think much of Taylor. Plus, you know, afterglow. The inspiration was a bit from Nathan of Mistfits, an asshole who can't be attacked verbally and dishes out mean but funny insults. What Imagine Clockblocker would be if he ever became a villain.

I liked the quote "Goddamn it Gallant," whenever Glory girl happens to know something about Wards or PRT procedure when she shouldn't.

Orb weaver silk in tech is from an article posted 2012, biodegrable phones using bugs is more recent i think.

True fact, the airforce used a bunch of playstations 3, 1,760, to create a super computer because it was cheaper, the article was from 2010.

Also tinkers, you know they have that phantom console!

Naruto Fan's who happen to read my fics, expect something in the next few weeks.


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